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Chuck&Betty

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Everything posted by Chuck&Betty

  1. We know people who have two gites in 82 but also do gardening/pool cleaning/changeovers for other peoples houses...They charge 35Euros p/hr -  Hope this helps!!
  2. We live near a small town called Lafrancaise, not far from Moissac/Montaubon and about 1hr 15 from Blagnac airport, it may be worth your while checking flights from Liverpool on easyjet to Bergerac IF you eventually buy nearer here or Lauzerte and LOT area. Also new airport to be built near Brive sometime plus ---- check area around Toulouse carefully as they are looking to build a brand new international Airport to replace Toulouse airport - considered areas between Montaubon and Toulouse and I think possible site being considered on South of Toulouse.!! NOT Selling - love it here. Good luck C&J
  3. When we first came to France we heard about 'tick fever' - but were not aware of just how virulent the virus is when contracted - or how serious it can be. We have just got through a really worrying time with our 2 horses who contracted piro (as it is known by local people here).  Within the space of 4 days, my strapping cob Teddy became depressed, listless, temperature of over 40deg (normal for equines is 37 - 38) - disgusting yellow thick nasal discharge - and serious anaemia.  The vet warned that he had become so anaemic there was a chance he would not survive overnight..my other pony, Sox, also contracted the disease - but he did not succumb so badly. We were very lucky that Teddy was so fit and well - and the next morning ate a small feed - by now the the first for nearly 6 days. Today, 10 days later we went for our first 'promenade'.. Clinical signs are very similar to a 'fly past' of equine flu, which can happen to inoculated horses who come into contact with another who has full blown flu..So horseowners - please be aware - at the first sign of these symptons (the giveaway for piro and not flu is yellow gums with red spots - and pale/yellow eyelids)- call the vet. According to our vet, horse owners in the Northern part of France above the Loire region needn't worry - as the temperatures are generally lower and the disease does not exist (although ticks are there too) - so obviously horses brought over from the UK will never have come into contact with this disease.  We have also learned that if a person gets bitten by a tick - piro can be passed on to humans - so a visit to the doctor (not vet!!) - straight away is adviseable.  
  4. We too have received a demand for social tax - and this is a big one we too didn't see coming !! (thanks Ron  for the explanation on previous postings on this subject- we now understand the difference between CMU and the social tax .) Apart from paying towards the French national debt can which anyone expain who benefits from the CSG and the Contribution addiotionelle de solidarite?    Thanks as always for replies. C&B (in a sunny spot near Moissac)  
  5. Thanks for the information  Leslauriers - we can't say we feel too ecstatic about this as we have already paid tax to the Inland Revenue and  NI contributions for 2004 - But you mentioned redundancies etc as being included for the calculation...so  I can ask one more question?..We have not yet sold our house in the UK - but if it did sell in 2006, would that 'lump sum' come into the CPAM calculation for 2008  ?
  6. We came to France in October 2004, with an E106 which covered us until December  31st 2005.  After the expiry of this  we visited our local CPAM office who told us to enquire whether we could get an extension for another year to the E106, and if not to get a letter confirming such from the UK.  As my husband had been self employed, we knew there was only the possibility of one year's cover through the E106 (and I was made redundant in 2003 and therefore was included on my husband's E106). So we requested the said letter.  We returned to the CPAM office in March 2005 with the DWP letter and details of all our income for 2005 for them to calculate our cotisation for 2006.  We  were told they wanted income information for 2004, not 2005. We were advised by a friend (who has had lots of conflicting information from their CPAM office) that the best thing would be to wait a couple of  months by which time we would have filled in our impots return for 2005 and we could take that as our proof of income. We returned to CPAM yesterday - with a copy of the impots return - and again they asked for information relating to 2004.  Does anyone know why they want 2004 information (our UK E106 covered us for 2004-2005) - Surely 2006 cotisation would be based on 2005 impots (income) return.? Also - we weren't tax resident in France during 2004... so why should our income for that year be of any consequence to the French systems??  
  7. Hi Debra - it is the house in the Uk that we are waiting to sell.  We have been here in France since October 2004, and now we have heard about this new CGT rule that is likely to come into force in 2007, we plan to go back to the UK before June 30th (less than 6 mths into the French year) - and re-register ourselves in the UK and get temping jobs or something.. so that if we don't sell until after the new rule is applied - we will not attract any CGT a we will be selling our main residence in the UK and will be UK tax resident again by then.  Also, we are assuming the worst as to the calculation -  viz.. that it will be calculated on any gain made since the house was bought - (less French allowances)...it's a bit of grasping at straws to hope they would treat it fairly - and calculate new residents gains only from the date of residency in France..  Have to say though- we have been really surprised that this isue is not more high profile - in fact we had to tell our English/French advisor about it - and we only found out because a friends book had made an error which caused us to do some research.. ..bit scary for all those people over here who have left a property rented in UK to bump up their caplital base in a few years time!
  8. Does anyone have any informaton on whether or not the new convention closing off the loopholes between France and UK has been ratified ? We are currently stuck with a house for sale (for the last 2 yrs)..and are considering returning to the UK until we can find a buyer..  Also, when the changes are in place, does anyone know how the CGT calculation will be made?  Will it be on gains  made between the original price when you bought the property and sold it, or gains on the value of the property between when you become tax resident in France and then sell it?  The reason for asking this question is  that if you look at the current 3 year rule with the Uk and sale of second property attracting CGT, the tax is only calculated on the gain made after the three year period has expired....the new convention would seem mightily unfair if France claim CGT benefits calculated on icreases in value during the period when the UK home was your only residence??    
  9. Just a quick post to remind horse owners new to France that the Ragwort pulling season is upon us. The French farmers here in Tarn Et Garonne dont seem to recognise the weed as a threat. Unlike the UK where it is listed as a notifyable weed Ragwort is a highly toxic plant which if eaten in sufficient amounts by horses causes death by fatal accumulation of the poisons, which build up in the liver over a period of time. Unfortunately the toxicity is increased if the Ragwort is eaten after being baled and dried in hay, so it pays to check hay carefully. . Be careful to wear gloves as the sap is an irritant and wash hands afterwards in any case. Happy horse riding. C&J .
  10. We agree entirely - we have Marmite - Heinz salad creme and allsorts in our larder!! But also foie gras, duck legs and local wine (at 4Euros for 5ltrs!!) However - we have found you CAN get the bacon!! ...Ask your boucher to slice poitrine tres fine for you - and fry it without any fat (you get enough for dip out of the pan!and you don't get that scummy foam that lots of UK supermarket bacon gives you!!) - place on 2 slices of bread (out of our panasonic breadmaker and made with Hovis extra strong flour!!) - with Daddies Brown Sauce (from Intermarche)!!! mmmm!!! who says you have to go without!!! ps we tell the boucher the bacon's for aperos - to wrap round prunes!! pps - we are also experimenting with making my own cumberland sausages!!..not bad so far and i use the same butcher for the sausage skins!!
  11. We moved to France in October 2004 and were covered by the E106 until 31/12/05.  Our house in the UK not yet sold - and this will provide the bulk of our income here when the capital is invested.  Currently though - we have to live on our savings..and a small amount of interest - all of which is more than adequate.  However if the delay in selling the house is extended much more we plan to return temporarily to the UK (probably May.Jun this year) and work our way through until a sale does happen..  Two questions really - firstly - we currently have no health cover.  We are more than happy to pay our way but the way thing stand we don't show figures that are enough..we do not intend to scrounge off the French social system...so ..- is it possible NOT to be in CMU - but to cover ourselves instead with a private health policy?.  Secondly - if the answer is no..then we don't understand why CPAM today insist on our income figures for 2004 in order to compute our cotisisation for 2006? At their office today we took all figures for 2005 which will be included on our impots form -and I also explained that these figures are higher than 2004 !!Surely they should be asking for income for 2005 to compute 2006 payments? Could it be because we have not yet had to file a return with the impots - as this will be our first tax year?, Thx very much Chuck and Betty
  12. My wife hasnt had any trouble getting feeds for both our lads, can get Spillers feeds as well as grass nuts etc., from local merchant/co op., Espace Emeraude also stocks feeds and accessories. We are near Moissac (82) are you anywhere near (or to be near ) ? Colin  
  13. Thanks both for your replies, sorry but Xmas cheer delays. Please call us if you are in our area or closeby (Lafrancaise) happy to see you and perhaps enjoy a glass of wine (or two). We are asking our solicitor in the UK (french specialist) to take a view as to the situation when the treaty takes effect, if any news as to when it will pass into law in each country and the actual effect on us IF our UK house is still unsold  (horrors) at that time. Depending what comes up, may well post further message on Forum.   Happy New Year C&J  
  14. Apologies in advance if this has already been posted and replied to. We moved to our French house (bought Nov. 2003) in October 2004 and have (hopefully) correctly notified CMU ., etc  to declare our being here and we will be due to file our 2005 French Tax year return soon. We have been living mainly on savings plus a small amount of interest earned with the plan being to re-invest the lump sum from the proceeds of the sale of UK house to generate a more substantial income stream. Given the current market in the UK, the house still  hasn't sold. Questions: If our house is sold in the UK whilst we are resident in  France will we be liable to French CGT on the gain (we bought it in 1997 and the gain is substantial) ?. We are also considering returning to the UK (and to work) in March 2006 as we cannot afford to let our savings deplete too much,  plus we feel the house may well sell better whilst we are in residence. How would this affect the French tax situation, if say, we had to stay in the UK for a protracted period ?. Needless to say we dont want to return to the UK., as we love this part of France (Montaubon) and the house repairs here are moving on well. Thanks in advance for replies, Colin.  
  15. just spotted your posting, we live at Lafrancaise, between Lauzerte and Moissac, we know quite a few nice English folks around this neck of the woods  having been here over a year now. Lots of luck in Cahors, visted there a few times during the last year. C&J.
  16. just spotted your posting and we know its a little late to reply- but my wife has just discovered 'MONDIAL TISSUS' at Montaubon, nearby the motorway junction, Agen's not too far away. Were also from Shropshire, Oswestry originally and more recently, Ironbridge. Currently living near Moissac. Hope you are enjoying France. C&J
  17. Our (ex) builder  laid a new concrete floor 3 weeks ago,  very uneven surface (moon like) , we need to try to level this off and hope to use a concrete floor grinder from say Loxam or similar, does anyone have any advice or experience with one of these ?, we'll greatly appreciate any replies. C&J.(in 82)
  18. Dept. 82. Lafrancaise (nr. Moissac), here since Oct 04, loving it, one wife, two horses, two cats. Anyone in area, email us and drop in to taste our wine ! Colin & Jane:
  19. Can anyone suggest an easy to read basic guide to understanding and tuning in a digibox and dish?., we have yet to get any basic understanding (v. little info with new digibox and inherited a large 80? dish - with two arms - ?? BBC channels working but dont have many others) any help gratefully received. (area 82) Thanks & ttfn. C&J
  20. Hi - If it's any help - we are going through the process of registering an Ifor Williams HB510 which is 5yrs old in August.  To get your letter of conformity you MUST have the ORIGINAL bill of sale from the dealer/manuafacturer when the trailer was newly purchased plus originals of EVERY bill of sale for each time the trailer has changed hands..(and each one of these must show the serial number of the trailer.)  We purchased this Ifor Williams in the Uk having sold our old Bayhill trailer for which we knew there would not be the appropriate paperwork.. Gook Luck!!  
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