mickey jim

Thanks again Parsnips. This has been really helpful.

Thanks Parsnips. So are you saying that because I have lived here for less than 6 years and because I am an heir in direct line inheriting less than 156 359E then I don't need to do anything (not even declare it on my tax form next year)?. I'm worried that they may pick it up from my UK bank as my interest will increase next year (they are fully aware of my UK bank account and how much interest I get - I've seen the printout at my local tax office !!).

My mother died a short while ago. She was living in the England when she died. I am a French resident and tax payer. My mother left a small amount and there is no inheritance tax due in the uk. However, what is the legal procedure here a) do I need to declare it on my tax form next year (and if so, does anyone know where), and b) will I need to pay any tax on it in France? Thanks.

Kevem We are also with the MSA and were told that we needed to work more than 1200 hrs per year to get full MSA benefits.  We could stay with them below this, but would not get full benefits (carte vitale etc).  However, when I asked what we needed to do to confirm our hours each year we were told just to keep a note of them (I think you just put it on the tax form at the end of the year?).  On the whole, our charges are daily - the length of day can vary from 8am-7pm to 9am-5pm depending on the job and the client, so each day can vary from 10hrs - 7hrs and noone can prove it apart from what we note down for our own benefit, also there was no comment about travelling time/quoting for work/accounts/maintenance of machinery etc etc - can this not go towards the 1200 hours too??  How on earth does a farmer keep note of his time otherwise?.  Does anyone else have experience of how this works?? I'm a bit worried that the person you spoke to at the MSA was not being particularly helpful with you.  If there's no way you can get up to the 1200hrs, is there anyway they can put you on the lower hours just for the time being??  I do think you ought to have a meeting with them to clarify exactly what they can do for you.  That's the only way you'll know whether to move from them or not. We are registered to do other things apart from gardening, but we have gardening as our main activity.  If the balance changes, ie you can prove that the 'other' work takes up more of your time than gardening, I believe you can then change to the CPAM.  But I think you have to prove it.  Unfortunately, this sounds just like another way in which the system is so rigid, it actually encourages people not to work, even if it is to pay a little bit of money back to social security - surely that's better than nothing ...  Good luck,

Hi I'm not sure if it is compulsory as not everyone I know that has Wanadoo has gone onto the new system.  My computer is all working ok now.  I don't use the gestionaire system at all and have removed the box from my view.  Using the gestionnaire system definitely slowed down downloading etc on my computer.  I launch Internet Explorer/Firefox and Outlook straight from my desktop now, without going through gestionnaire  (before we opened outlook and IE through the Wanadoo 'box'). Sorry I can't help with the messagerie as we have always used outlook.  Although, saying all this - perhaps you just ignore the update and see if they remind you again later??

Me again! Both IE and Outlook work absolutely fine without going through the Gestionnaire box and I relaunched everything and it hasn't asked for the security number again - phew!.  So I will just ignore the Gestionnaire box from now on.  I did try to deinstall it, but it removed all my Orange settings altogether so I couldn't get on to the internet at all - the wonders of the System Restore facility!!  Hopefully DH will not accuse me of fiddling now !  Thanks for your help everyone. 

Thanks.  I agree that the orange set-up is not great.  I use IE at the moment, but have just loaded Firefox so may use that instead as I really like it.  Anyway, IE/Firefox as the default for the internet and Outlook as default for emails.  However, at this moment in time I'm still running it through Orange Gestionnaire Internet, ie I don't actually click on the IE icon, but launch the web through Orange with IE, the same with outlook (hope that makes sense!).  This is where all my problems are I think.  So, sorry to be so thick, but can i literally get rid of the Gestionnaire Internet altogether then?  Does it not affect my connections or anything?  Val

Thanks Jan, but the update was definitely from Orange.  I have been on their website and the email and instructions I received were the same as on their website.  I also had an email from Orange before the update, saying that in a few days I would be getting the update!  So it is legitimate, but just doesn't work properly.  I think the update is only for Haut Debit customers (?).  I wish I hadn't updated at all now and kept it with the old version of Wanadoo. I discovered, after my first posting, that Orange had overridden my settings and made Orange Navigateur the preference and not Internet Explorer which I had before, so after changing the default, that is back to normal now.  However, I'm still getting it asking for the 26 figure security code everytime I try to go on-line.  It is getting very annoying...

Yesterday I had the option to update from 'l'Espace Wanadoo' to  Orange 'gestionnaire internet'.  I assumed it was just a quick update to remove the Wanadoo branding and replace with Orange, and of course speed it up and make it more userfriendly!.  Since then, everytime I need to go on line (as it's cut out a few times) it's asking for my 'security key'.  This is a real pain to keep typing this number in, as we tend to have powercuts often and have our connection to the internet broken each time.  It is also incredibly slow, and I'm now wondering if it isn't set up right, but don't know how I'd find this out.  Has anyone else had this problem or any ideas how to get over it?  

Have I missed something??? Cassis - I confess, I have delved a bit deeper and have discovered that I can apply on line - it's just didn't slap me in the face as quickly as the CPAM website! A job for me to do in the morning.  Thanks again.

Thanks Will.  Unfortunately MSA's website doesn't seem to have the facility to apply online, so another hour to waste going into the office!  On the point about being covered under the NHS still, I too have heard of people going back to UK for NHS treatment yet they are fully in the French system.  Knowing my luck, I'd go back to UK for hols, break a leg and then get charged hospital fees for it!

Can anyone help - I'm getting a bit confused.  I assumed (and I know that's a dangerous thing!) that CPAM issued everyone's EU Health Card, but I have just applied on line (thanks to this thread) but unfortunately I've been advised that CPAM can't give me a card because I don't belong to their organisation.  We pay our cotistations to the MSA so I'm now wondering whether I need to go to them and ask for one, despite everyone telling me that it's CPAM that issues them all.  It seems odd that a standard EU card comes from lots of different organisations - it doesn't seem very consistent.  Can anyone throw any light on this?? Has anyone else had this problem?

We registered while we were in our rented accommodation waiting to move into our house.   Everyone told us to do it and said there would be no implications, Ch de Metiers just needed written notification of change of address (we were moving from one department to another, 5 mins over the border).  When I say everyone it was Ch d M and an Accountant.  As it was, we ended up having 2 meetings with Ch d M to reregister and paying all the set up costs again, because the Ch de Ms work independently in each department, so it was like starting all over again, even though we had moved only 25 mins away.  We were also advised by the Ch d M to register straight away and go on the course later (after the holidays).  This was a mistake too, as it's important you go on the course before you register.  Be warned. I know it's very important not to work on the black, but it's also important not to register prematurely.  All Ch de M and Ch de C are different so make sure there are no implications with your particular office before you register.  Personlly, I felt that neither offices or the Accountant was particularly forthcoming with information to help us.  We reregistered in our new department on 1 Jan 06 because we thought it would make everything 'tidy', but was later advised by the MSA that if we had held off for two weeks, we would not have needed to pay any cotistations for the whole year.  No-one advised us on this before we reregistered.  As has already been pointed out, you can go on the course long before you actually register, and obviously once you register you will start paying your cotistations (although saying that, we registered July 05 and are still waiting for them, even though we've asked so many times we've given up counting).  We'll take a big gulp when they arrive... This is just our personal experience, but a few things to bear in mind.  Good luck.

Can I just add something else.  I know I'm being completely dumb, but I've no idea what version of IE I've got, 6 or 7.  Does it just update as a normal Windows update?  I looked in my properties and couldn't find a version number, how do I find out?

I guess, in a way, I should be relieved to know that the bank needs this info to allow the transaction, especially as I'm becoming paranoid about it now.  It just seems a contradiction.  I'm a bit concerned that if I send the RIB off to my bank with this form it's setting up the system whereby the tax office will just take amounts owing in future, without my authorisation each time, as there's nothing on the form about the amount.  I would rather be in control and pay each year by cheque or online.  Is this the case?

I also had the same problem, but had to go ahead with the transaction as I was late!  I haven't noticed anything strange yet.  There was an adhesion au telereglement attached to the email asking for a signature, RIB etc, which needs to be posted to the bank.  I thought the whole idea of paying on line was that I didn't need to post RIBs off etc... is this not the case?

There's a company on the outskirts of Bordeaux that sells Rayburns and Agas (not sure about Stanley), they might be able to put you in touch with someone. I think their website is www.paul-gee.com .

Oh, by the way, we also put lightening protection on our electrical and telephone supply - just as belt and braces.

Patmobile - Yes, the ADSL line and power go through the 'box'.  We should be able to put our telephone through it as well, but haven't worked that one out yet without interrupting the ADSL line!   WJT - the UPS we have has a 70 minute power back up supply, so if our electricity supply fails, the computer system and internet keep running.  The idea is it gives you enough time to save everything and see you through any blips, without interruption.  This does work, as we've had a number of very short power cuts over the last couple of days, without even a flicker on the screen - just the UPS beep to say that the battery has kicked in.  I am in NO WAY an expert on this equipment, but it is what was recommended to me by 'so called experts'. I think we could have gone for a cheaper option (69 Euros), but it had less battery back up time, but I'm not sure whether you could run the ADSL line through it though - can't remember.  I do feel that running the ADSL line and power through it has been a real bonus.  It is really up to you if you feel you need something more than 'protecting' your computer against surges... Hope this helps.

I thought I would share this with everyone, as it may be useful..... In the last 18 months, we've lost two telephones, a printer and just last week our TFT computer screen.  All were within 2 years old.  We concluded that it was down to our very dodgy and somewhat fluctuating mains power, as we have small power blips all the time.  We were always losing connection to Wanadoo as well. After our screen broke (which had been flickering for some time), we spoke to a few 'techy' people and they advised that we really should buy a UPS anti surge protector for all our computer equipment.  So we did, and it's marvellous.  The new screen no longer flickers, the computer is more stable (hasn't crashed since) and we have been connected to Wanadoo, without interruption, since we installed the new UPS box, which was two weeks ago ! Magic !  I have no idea how it's solved all our problems, but so far it has. For info, we purchased a UPS Management system at 129 Euros from Carrefour.  But there are cheaper ones, they just have less battery back up time.

We had someone on our registration course with Ch de Metiers who had already set up a micro-bic for his gites, but was setting up another for doing carpentry.  The tutor couldn't understand why the guy wanted to pay two sets of cotistations if he wasn't going to go over the 27K threshold and tried to advise him to have it all under one - so it must be ok unless there's something strange about an Agent Commercial. It's probably not the same, but I know of lots of people, including ourselves who have registered as one thing, but added other activities to the K-Bis (you just pay each time!).  Ours is even more complicated, as some of our work is covered by Ch de Metiers and some by Ch de Commerce.  Our work is totally unrelated.  As long as you have the relevant paperwork to prove what you will be doing and you are qualified in it (if needed), I THINK it's ok.  I assume you will be working for an agency, so will not have to worry about having to be qualified etc etc.  There are a lot of people doing it for a bit of extra money, so I can't see it should be that difficult to set up.  Good luck... I do have a completely different question for jpe - did you have to set yourself up as a Micro-bic to work for the UK company, as I want to do something similar?  email me if you prefer...

Tay, Thank you for your helpful response.  I think I'll go to Ch. de Commerce first as this is where the target audience will have registered I believe.

Kev Friends of ours did it in August at Limoges and it was 165 Euros for one person or 200 Euros including the co-joint collaborateur.

Kev A bit late responding, sorry - they do English version of the course in Perigueux too (same guy as Limoges I think).  Beware, although the courses may all be similar, the costs and frenquency aren't.  To my knowledge, Limoges is the cheapest and held most frequently out of Limoges, Angouleme and Perigueux (were a few months ago anyway). You're right to do it in English.  We did, and understood 100% of it.  It's important you understand everything.  forms etc can be translated at your leisure, and as for French speaking clients, suppliers etc the chances are it will be on a 1 to 1 basis and so is completely different... Good luck.

Does anyone know how easy it is to buy databases (of local businesses) for mailshot purposes, and if so, where can I buy them from?  (They obviously exist, as, since we registered, we have recieved all sorts of stuff from people we've never heard of - some interesting, some not!). Also, are they any laws on sending mailshots?  I assume, as long as I purchase the database legally, I am not doing anything illegal by sending the letters?? (purely introducing services) mickey jim