Graham & Brenda

I declared online and am still waiting (it isn't available online either). I 'phoned today and was told I'd have it by 15th October! He asked if I needed it and I said yes, for CPAM, so he said he'd send a shortform version for them with the real one to follow.

Cassis, I think you are preaching to the converted!

Although your reply is clear SD, as usual , why does it ask at the foot of the form, just after signature to "fournir les pièces indiquées page 4". Or to put it another way, where does it say you don't need to after the requirements are clearly spelt out in the covering letter and on page 4. To me it is pointless to send a copy of a carte vitale and attestation which emanate from CPAM anyway but for the last two years I've just sent it all off anyway with a gallic shrug! 

Pity he can't include Angouleme on one or two of the other days.

Thanks for looking,    

Martin,   I know that CH4 comes up as 8350. What do the regional versions you refer on 10714 appear as please?

EDF state that the UK and French businesses are separate and stand alone. I have no knowledge or expertise to prove this but I would really expect it to be the case.

Lisa. Thanks for your reply. One other difficulty I have experienced is the removal of cash (in and out) from the tills. Paying in is in an envelope into what can only be described as a letterbox. Sometimes the chute inside is full at the bottom and so one's deposit is not secure. I therefore can't, or rather won't pay in on Mondays when the bank is closed. It would not be rocket science to provide something better - in fact I think some branches have machines for this. I have mentioned it at the branch but they seemed unconcerned.

Hi Lisa. Not sure what you mean by "the kind of banking service that Brits expect". We are with our local branch of CA (Charente Perigord) and am happy with my current account, debit card, cheque book, statements - printed and online and direct debits. Credit cards and overdrafts are available should I want them and loans too I suppose - what more could I want? I am not being (very) flippant. What are the terms of reference for your project - as a matter of interest to a retired banker.   PS Just thought of a requirement. Better layout of the product offer online e.g. types of account and cards - with clear prices  

Pads, look at my post above, there's a link to the Nationwide website that tells you all about it.

A lot depends on what you like - seaside, rivers, canals, mountains, hot, cooler, rural, towns etc. France is so big it really has something of everything, so tell us your preferences and I'm sure you'll get lots of replies!

I think you should both decide whether or not you actually want to move permanently. The contra reasons you have mentioned are really minimal - apart perhaps from the healthcare issue. You will still have costs in euros whether you are here permanently or part time. Have you visited the house in the winter to see what it is like? Do you want to be talked out of it, for there are many on this forum who will oblige. Equally there are plenty of people who are happily retired here. Others may be able to advise on the summer/winter idea to help you formulate a decision but if you are having doubts, now is the time to resolve them all - either way.

This affects Flex account visa debit card customers. See this link http://www.nationwide.co.uk/rca/Introduction/why.htm. (you may need to open Natiowide.co.uk and then paste the link in). Having said that it worked when I tried it again!!

tj, I have yet to see a post from anyone who has succeeded in getting iplayer to work using a free proxy server - so if you know differently please let us know! Where did you hear about the possibility of worldwide availability? Is it a rumour or have the BBC actually said this?

A estate agent was interviewed on "Working Lunch" today. She said the rental side of the business was shoring up the (quieter) sales side. Makes sense - if mortgages are harder to come by renting seems to be the likely alternative.

Taking a rather simplistic view, when the Euro was introduced I could not understand how such disparate economies with different levels of development, unemployment, consumption, growth etc., etc. could be managed with one interest rate policy. That problem seems to persist. However, now I can't see how it could be unwound at this stage - or even improved upon. I suppose we are stuck with it warts and all.

Where did you hear this Benjamin? I declared on line today and have an "Accusé De Réception Signé" to prove it! Why would their system issue an official receipt if they were then going to "bin" the return? If your post is serious please clarify it and pass on your source of information.  

We don't work in France as we are both early retired. I just fill in the forms they choose to send me!![:)]

Thanks Cat. I would have hoped that they would send me compatible forms as this will now be my fourth year of declaration!

Last year I completed forms 2047K and 2042K. (I have received this year's 2042-K and await the 2047-K but the online version looks unchanged). On the 2047-K there is a line TA for the credit d'impot on dividends. You are told to carry it forward to line TA on section 8 of the Declaration des Revenues (in my case 2042K). However, there is no line TA on that form. I 'phoned the Impots and they said enter it by hand at the bottom. Has anyone else had this problem or had a better explanation as it doesn't seem right somehow.

Judging by all the stories of lost laptops and Cds, it seems that most departments are sharing personal data with just about anyone and everyone [8-)]!!

I have just remembered a query from the Impots re my building society interest last year. (The query wasn't about exchange rates but amounts as I had mucked up gross and net - but that's another story!). They quoted an exchange rate from the Banque de France as at 31/12/2006 which was 0.6715 or 1.4892. The link to the Banque de France website is [url=http://www.banque-france.fr/fr/poli_mone/taux/html/3.htm]HERE[/url]. It shows the rate at end 2007 of 0.73335 or 1.36361. So, whilst it may seem wrong to use the end of year rate when rates were falling last year, it must be swings and roundabouts overall. In the event that I was asked to justify its use I would be able to quote their letter.

SD, I wonder if you could give your opinion on my situation? I receive my pension in the UK in sterling. I deliberately incur much of my French expenditure on a UK credit card which is settled monthly. For French taxes and utilities I cash a fixed sum each month and pay it into my French bank account. The Impots will require me to convert my pension income into euros. Should I use the 12 monthly rates or the end of year rate? My only concern is that I do it in the most correct manner to avoid queries at a later date.   Thanks,

Can't remember where we stayed (I found it on the net  - but it was in 2003) but a couple of tips. The trams are good and there is a combined ticket that includes the yellow water taxis. We found restaurants to be very expensive. There is a boat trip up Lake Geneva/Lac Leman, which calls at Yvoire, [url=http://www.yvoiretourism.com/accueil_en.html]Link Here[/url] in France - the restaurant there was very popular with the trippers (we had taken a picnic!).    

There is no easy answer. However, it is likely that the Bank of England will reduce rates further, so, unless rates for the eurozone are reduced, which isn't looking likely at the moment, this will exert further downward pressure on the £. Wish it were otherwise. It looks like we are going to be stuck with an exchange rate around this level for some time to come.