Hereford

We are in Normandy too, use St Hilaire CA branch.  My Dad wanted to pay in over the counter last week - bank said not over counter and he had to go into a back room for security.  If you want more than a small amount of cash from machine (i.e. over daily limit) you go into same backroom! As we did last year too to collect Canadian currency. It is obviously a security measure. However our small branch at Juvigny le Tertre has not been changed yet - same old over the counter there. H.  

We had a flyer for "Restos du Coeurs" (not sure of spelling.)  If you give them cash you can deduct 66% of donation from your next tax bill - how's that for government support! H.

Kwp500 - re scrapping a car. You can take it to a scrap car dealer but they charge!  However: My Dad brought over an old car, with it's export certificate but after a short time it started giving having problems so he decided to change the car and scrap the old one.  He took it to a small garage (i.e. village one) and said they could have it free for scrap. They were delighted, no money changed hands, Dad just gave them all the car paperwork and left car with them. Mrs H

You will not find a "builder" in France who can do all the work, you have to employ individual tradesmen. We know of a very good dual qualified electrician/plumber in Notre Dame de Touchet. If you would like his name please email us or send a private message. H.

Those of you who are over 80, or have relatives over 80, and live here in France may like to know that there may be a delay in getting these payments this year. My father-in-law telephoned the Cardiff fuel benefit office yesterday because their payments had not arrived.  He was told that because of the additional £100 for "Council tax" this year for the oldies the payment would be delayed for about another 6 weeks and would be made by warrant not to his bank account as in previous years. This only affects the over 80s living abroad. Needless to say he is pleased to be getting the extra £100 but sorry he has to wait! Anyone in France had a different experience this year? H.  

These answers basically corrct.  Property income is taxed in the country of origin.  You will have to declare the UK rent on a form to Ex-pat deptin the UK. Whether it actually suffers any tax will depend on the amount (i.e. above or below your UK allowances). You also put the amount on your French tax return on the back page at the bottom (box TI)  Also on form 2047 (foreign income) in section VII: you describe it as Revenu foncier.  If you have had to pay UK tax you also put this amount. You will not pay French tax as such but the figure is taken into account to determine tax paid on the balance of your income in France. We found all this out earlier this year in order to do our own return for 2003. The tax office are very helpful and will check that you have put things in the right box. H.

Thanks for replies re washing balls.  I shall definitely get some. 2heads: I will phone over week-end. I am off to UK anyway in January so could get/collect some then. Mrs H

Query for Iceni (or anyone else who knows): What is a "washing ball" please?.... Mrs H

We have just had a letter from CPAM which sort of explains it. I quote below the relevant sentence: (sorry no accents) Pour chaque acte medical, un euro sera directement deduit des remboursements, Ce sera notre contribution aux depenses de sante. It goes on a bit after that.... Does not affect minors, preg. women or those on CMU. Starts 1.1.05 What we wonder is: will the Mutuelle pick up the one euro?  Also at the pharmacy we currently just hand over our card (which has Mutuelle attached) and pay nothing. Will the pharmacy have to ask everyone for one euro!!!!! H. PS We assume these letters will arrive as and when people get a statement from CPAM.

Back to the original question: Your Granddaughter may be interested to know that in 1901 out of 56,000 population of Calais more than 1,500 were English, and out of 46,000 in Boulogne more than 1,000 were English. This from Baedekers Northern France (approx. 1910 edition). In the case of Calais the English were described as mostly in "tulle" manufacturing  (i.e. fabric). Bruges at about the same time had 3,000 English out of a population of 58,000.  Pau had a very big English population in the 19th century, either for retirement (climate) or to recover from TB.  There is nothing new in Brits in France (or Europe)! H.

We picked up a couple of choc mousses in a small supermarket recently. I admit we did not check sell-by date.  The cashier (owner probably) noticed they were out of date and refused to charge us at all !  They were only one day out of date and tasted fine. We were slightly embarrassed but she seemed to realise we had not done it deliberately (they were in fact the only two mousses she had left). H.

It may sound a silly question but perhaps you could use a limited company in the UK (you will after all merely be "working from home") in the way that consultants always do there?  The costs are not high for setting up, and here are no audit fees for small companies, so the annual accountants costs would not be high.  There must surely be a section on the "foreign income" bit of the French tax return for a salary or indeed dividends from a UK company. (We will read the form to see if we can work out which box)  We do know that it is not possible to pay all profits from a UK co. as divvies which is what happened in the old days..... I would certainly seek advice from a firm like the one mentioned in Guernsey - a one off fee cannot be that high. We are still doing a couple of very simple tax returns (UK though we live in France) for old ladies who we were unable to offload onto the chap who bought our accountancy practice. We have decided that life is too short so just do them free and informally but that is not an answer for you. We did not deal with overseas tax in our practice so cannot give specific advice. H.

Just to correct my post above: Mortain Christmas market is, so our French teacher tells us, on the last weekend of this month and the one in Gorron is on 19th December. H.

We understand that there is a Christmas market in Mortain (possibly this week-end - we will be buying a local paper today so will check) and one in Gorron 18/19 December. H.

You have had a reply now as to help available in Avranches, so we hope you get your problems sorted out. We were told (in no uncertain terms) by our daughter and son-in-law who both work for a software company not to download XP pack 2 until all the bugs were sorted out! Still waiting... H.  

Further to our earlier reply we think we took passports too to CPAM - to prove we were the people on the E form!! We agree that you should find a CPAM office in any largish town near you. Ask the Maire or a neigbour. H.

Many thanks. We saw the eldest son today, tending his cattle, so made suitable noises of condolences.  I have to say he did not seem a bit upset! H.

You will also need birth certificates (long not short version), marriage cert. if applicable. Also for a woman (if applicable) divorce paperwork to show transition from maiden name to current name. CPAM also need a RIB from your bank so that they can make refunds direct to your bank account. That should do it!   H.

We would be glad of advice as to the correct "form". We were away on holiday last week and when we got back yesterday evening there was a notice in our letter box notifying the death of an elderly villager. We did not know the lady but her eldest son keeps cattle on the field next to our house. The funeral was yesterday afternoon - so we have missed it. The notice gives details of the undertaker and says: condoleances sur registre. What, if anything should we do now?  Is it too late to add our names to the registre at the undertakers as the funeral has taken place? Perhaps we should send a card to the son that we know? Any advice gratefully received as we should not like to cause offence. We live right outside the village so do not have any close neighbours that we know well enough to ask. Thanks H.

You do not need translations of these forms, but the French authorities will not accept UK "short" birth certificates - you must get the "long" ones.  Easy to get from the Registrar where the birth was registered, costs about £5/£6. H.

See our reply to someone else (later on this forum) asking for an accountant.  Go to the tax office direct! H.

See reply under "Finance". H

I am sorry that we cannot recommend anyone. However, if you do go to an accountant for advice where you have UK as well as French income be very careful.  We went to a local accountant for help to fill in our first French return.  The girl we saw seemed to have no idea about our "foreign" income and where on the form it went.  We were so unhappy with her advice that we took the form, as she filled it in, and all our info (written in French with euro conversion of all UK amounts) to our local tax office. The tax office were brilliant, told us where the form was wrong (chap had to ask his boss at one point), gave us another form (or two!) and sent us away. tax has now been worked out, we went back to query amount and it all makes sense. I should add that both my wife and I are Chartered Accountants so thought we would have no problem understanding the forms. We will be able to do next years form alone with no problem. H.

The Fench take their holidays in July and August.   Definitely avoid the first week-end of July and the last week-end of August, but MOST importantly avoid like the plague the cross-over week-end from July to August when the "juillards" are travelling north and the "aoutistes" are travelling south! Hereford

Don;t forget to keep documents showing transition from original (maiden) name to new married name. This is needed to get into the health system. Your new marriage certificate will show previous married name. H.