chirpy

I have RFR of 19974euro,and if I calculate the figure by subtracting 7918 then x 3.44%=414euro . If  this is the maximum  TdH I'd have to pay,then  why am I billed for 500euro TdH ,   plus  audiovisuelle of 118=total532EURO. I HAVE A BILL FOR 618EURO TO pay tomorrow i.e.86euro more.--Why?[8-)]    

WHAT IS RFR exactly and how do I calculate it?is it all my income before allowances or after the 10% then 20% etc. thanks.

thanks but ow is this calculated-e.g.if your income goesdown and hance tax-does habitation reduce?We are all having a reduction of income if retired and depending on uk pensions which with the Euro strengh has fallen considerably.

What is the tie between tax habitation and your personal  tax declaration?C an you indicate if their is a figure that is taken from tax paid  last year hat is taken into consideration for following years habitation that can cause a reduction un the habitation charge.thanks.

Well perhaps they were trained but they have not remembered much-especially after overfilling the maximum fluid level so it reached the neck of the reservoir.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have taken out so faar 18 xhalf teaspons  and still have not reached below the neck. Iwill have to buy a syringe to remove more to get down to the maximum specified level. ARE GARAGES EVER CHECKED UP BY ANY KIND OF INDEPENDENT INSPECTERS?? My memory might be failing but I do remember to look at the handbooks aND CHECK BRAKE,OIL,WATER LEVELS ETC.  

I called them cowboys as they are not trained mechanics if they take 4 visits in a week to finally accept that fluid is being lost. Also the day before this happened I watched 3 of them trying to break into the rear door, high stop light, on the estate as this had been seen in the morning of same day by mot tester as not functioning. WHEN I SUGGESTED THEY RANG ANOTHER CITROEN GARAGE AS IT WAS OBVIOUS THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PART BEFORE THEY CONTINUED. I STOPPED THEM AND SAID I WOULD GO TO THE MAIN DEALER 50KM AWAY. However I bought a Haynes manual and found that you had to open the glass rear windscreen -which is opened separately from the maintailgate in case you wish to pop something in the backand yo are parked where opening of main door is not possible. I took them a photocopy of the page showing 4 torq bolts which had to be removed.!!!!!!!!!!!! they did this when the brakes were eventually sorted. Maybe  it is an injustice to real cowboys -but some people do you use this term, instead of saying untrained grease monkeys or whatever you would consider the correct term. I know in myworking life that if I had performed as badly as they did then I would have been expected to be sacked on the spot,especially when dealing with safety of drivers and pedestrians in the event of complete brake failure.  p.s. what do you mean by FWIW?

I did not ask for a devis as I knew the car had to be fixed  from the safety angle and I had no other way of travel,having only one car.Since local non citroen garage was busy I naturally went to next closest garage which is where I originally bought it new. JUST INTERESTED TO KNOW IF ANYONE KNEW IF THE CITROEN BOSCH MASTER CYLINDER IS SUITABLE FOR MAINTENANCE OR WHETHER ONLY A NEW ONE MUST BE FITTED.

NO,  - their is a large separate tank for suspension fluid, brakess have twin pipe systems in event of one system giving problem you still havee some braking capacity. this problem happened after mot test in France and I wonder if the heavy footed tester put a lot of pressure on the pedal aas a few days later level had dropped from full tdown to the danger level.I retooped it up but it kept slowly going down. hence visit to garage to see the cowboys.

WELL reading some recent posts here there appears to be experts with knowledge I could have done with last week. After 4 trips to garage complaining of brake fluid loss and unable to trace it myself-and being 72without a lot of know-how on these electronic monsters-I supposed the only fault could be slave master cylinder. i even bought Haynes manual bit it said they believed there was no maintenance kit to their knowledge. yesterday citroen garage put innew master at cost of 400+euro!!!!!!!!! and I wondered before I pay bill if thismodel has maintenance possibilities .iwill return next week and get an englih mechanic to translate from the french mechanic what he found. p.s. for mechanic read my translation after 4 visits in a week as ------"COWBOYS"[:@]

other ideas-re-measure house internal areas as I think if you have very thick walls then it will give you naturally a much smaller dimension inside and reduce liveable areas. Also to ease the pain I have elected to pay monthly.[I]  

was your h1 form filled correctly and clearly-if not e.g. handwritten and a figure mis-readthen this may be a possible reason for huge increase.[I]

THANKS AGAIN PARSNIPS FOR YOUR TIME. I now understand what you are saying but my mathematics is o.k. ,however ,say I now visit and use their forms to fill in the various figures where do I WRITE THE FOLLOWING AFTER I PERSUADE THEM MY ANNUITY WAS A PENSION AND NOT AN ANNUITY-MY TRANSLATER CLAIMS RENTE VIAGERES IS FOR PROPERTY BUT WHAT IS THE BW SYMBOLFOR?  -I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE YEAR I TOOK OUT THE POLICY .i.e.in the period 50-59 years but on form 2042 ,page 3 she is saying it is underneath the conjoint column but I believe this column is only for the traitment salaires.The word viageres is a life annuity taken out in the various periods and the earlier the year started  the more tax reduction  is possible.Do you agree?    So if I have to start again and fill out tax form2047-declaration a l'etranger  WHERE SHOULD I PUT FOR THE EXAMPLE YEAR (C)2003 28624EURO? PAGE 1, I ASSUME . .AND DO I FILL IT IN ITEMVI ON BACK PAGE? ALSOTHE OAP -SHOULD THEY GO IN ITEM VII. IF NOT WHERE ???AS THIS IS HOW THE LADY TOLD ME YESTERDAY. NEXT COMING TO FORM 2042WHAT FIGURES AND WHERE SHOULD THEY BE PUT?. FINALLY ANY BANK INTEREST IN U.K. -WHERE SHOULD IT GO? AND ALSO ANY IN FRENCH BANKS?  IN RECENT YEARS   FRENCH BANK INTEREST  HAS NOT TO BE DECLARED ,AS IT IS TAKEN DIRECT AND A COPY SENT TO TAX OFFICE. SORRY TO BE A PEST TO YOU AS THIS HELP IS APPRECIATED AND I AM SUR OTHERS READING THIS EPISODE WILL HOPEFULLY AVOID SOME OF THE PITFALLS .!![8-)] BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET IT RIGHT NOW AND NOT GIVE MYSELF LOSSES IN FUTURE NOR MY OTHER HALF IF I KICK THE BUCKET BEFORE HER AS SHE HAS HAD ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITH ME FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS.(P.S. I AM FIT FOR 72 SO HOPEFULLY CAN SORT THIS TAX OUT BEFORE IT SENDS ME ROUND THE BEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAVE A BEER ONME OR A BOTTLE OF WINE AND IF I MANAGE TO GET THIS SORTED OUT MAYBE A LITTLE BIT STRONGER  MEDICINAL LIQUOR CAN BE SPECIFIED.[:D] P.S. IF NONE OF MY FIGURES SHOULD BE ENTERED INTO BOXTK OR TI WHY DOES IT TELL YOU ON FORM 2047 TO TRANSFER THE FIGURES TO HESE VERY SAME BOXES!????? OR IS THIS FOR FRENCH PEOPLE OR WORKING PEOPLE???[8-)]    

Hi, I have had a meeting with a person living here and translating French and providing assisstance with house purchase and tax forms. I came here 9 years ago and spent 2-3 hours( with a French/English translater ) in  the tax office to get the correct proceedures for filling in their forms AFTER I had been led to believe tHat you cold choose to pay tax in u.k.!! So when I met the helpfull tax people they filled in  forms for the part year i.e.last 6months  of 2001,2002and2003, so I could be assessed correctly up to date, and know the methods for future use. A)   Income year 2001-6MONTHS. .....They wrote my company pension of 6144 E in boxAS                                       An annuity of 3403E in  boxBW( transferred from a former pension after I was made redudant .                             and bank interest of 393E into boxTR .This was 2042 form. ON LAST PAGE she entered 5219E into BOX TI-(I could not understand this!) and 6144E into BOX TL. PAID NO TAX so did not worry.- BUT 240E CONTRIBUTION SOCIAL TAX DUE. B) Income year 2002 ...They wrote my company pension +o.a.p total of14453E  in box AS                                                                     and 1048E in box BS for wife's OAP                                                            annuity of 6807E in box BW                                                and bank interest of 96E in box TR                                                     On last page 15501E in box TL since I PUT IN DOUBLE GLAZING I received credit for this and only paid 173E tax and 428 contribution social. C)Income year 2003 I filledin figures as instucted this year 18717E box AS                                                          3243E box BS                                                          6664E box BW                                                               31E box TR TAX 1023E and cont.social 341E. D) Income year 2004 I CONTINUED MYSELF AS PREVIOUSL ADVISED BY TAX OFFICE. Tax 916Econ.social 477E -SHOULD HABE BEEN 367E AND REBATE GIVEN. E) Income year 2005 tax 1099E CON.SOCIAL 367E F) Income year 2006 visited tax office and they showed me how to fill in by internet. tax852E Con.social367E G)Income year 2007 tax913E CCON.SOC.353E   YESTERDAY MET TRANSLATER TO DISCUSS WHETHER I COULD GET A RE-ASSESSNENT DONE IF IN MY INTERESTS. I WAS TOLD THAT  WITH INTERNET METHOD THERE IS NO SPACE TO WRITE IN WHERE YOU ARE NOT LIABLE TO TAX. SHE SAID THE OAP SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY SOCIAL TAXES CHARGED .  I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED MY ANNUITY AND COMPANY PENSION  AS INCOME  IN 2047 -THEN TRANSFER TO BOX TK..ON FORM2042.  NOT DECLARE OAP EXCEPT IN 2047 FORM ITEM VII -THEN TRANSFER TO TI. -ON FORM 2042.  .ANY COMMENTS BEFORE I DECIDE WHETHER THE TAX MAN WRITES ME OFF OR MY WIFE. HAVE I PAID TAX UNNECESSERILY, THANKS. .          

THANKS AGAIN. HOWEVER , I HAVE SPENT today calculating tax by two separate mehods. One ,as if I had  one  pension  and  the other  as if part of the pension was an annuity,classified in France as rente viageres(a taxable investment which attracts all the social taxation) . I was forced to put a pension  into an annuity when I was 51years old, in the U.K., following redundancy . this is where it has been liable for csg,crds and prelev.social.etc for the 9years I have lived here.. When I calculate as the simplified method used on the internet  for years 2001 ,2002,2003 ,2004and 2005 I WAS WORSE OFF  than if my annuity was accepted by the tax office as another pension. Then for the years 2006 and 2007 there was little difference due to  French taxation and allowance changes. This year I had a rebate of more than half the normal expected tax due to the credit exceptional  given by the government.I hope there has not been a big error and i get a claim to pay it back!!! The crunch question is whether I am due back all the social charges as a holder of an E121  AND NOT GET TAXED WITH SOCIAL CHARGES  ON THE ANNUITY IN FUTURE. IF THE TAXATION FOR THE NEXT YEARS WILL BE INCREASING THEN I may as well leave the annuity as is, as it is taxed  AT THE MOMENT on 50%, while if  i got it changed  into a  pension ,then on my  tax return  it will be taxed at 100% . I hope you can follow my thoughts . Do you know what the next 2- years planning on taxation is going to be as this could affect my next move. thanks again.I WILLHAVE ACHAT TOMORROW WITH MY TRANSLATER TO SEE WHETHER I CAN SORT THIS OUT NEXT WEEK WITH THE TAX OFFICE. At least the time withthe translater should be paid for by the 20euro deductionthe tax office forgot to credit me with for an online asseement/tax return.Un less they have dropped this offer which I did get in 2006.[8-)][:-))][:)] well it is guyfawkes night ---a shame he got caught !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![:P]

[8-)]WELL WE ARE ALL GETTING SLIGHTLY CONFUSED -PERHAPS A SENIOR MOMENT OR TWO. a new message to Parsnips and all. I receive a government state pension ,a company one and an anuity which I was forced to transfer from a pension fund when I was made redundant. I have been paying social taxes i.e.CSG,CRDS AND PREL.SOC ET CONT.SOLIDARITE for 8 years . From previous posts am I CORRECT TO BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD NOT BE PAYING OR SHOULD NOT HAVE PAID THESE ON ALL MY PENSIONS .? I am going to go with a  translater to meet the tax office and finally sort it out -I hope as in a weeks time I HAVE TO PAY THIS YEARS DEMAND . If you are starting to claim re-assessment before the due date of 15thnovember 2009 then will I BE ABLE TO HOLD OFF THIS PAYMENT AND RE-ASSESS THE PREVIOUS 3 YEARS??? THANKS AGAIN.

hi, I have noticed 1-2 times a week for last fortnight the electic went off about 6.00 -6.30a.m. I have not had this before and dicconjunter works correctly in surges/storms etc. could it be due to the other houses in region starting to use a lot of electric to heat up houses etc. as colder autumn approaches? I do not have any underfloor heating ,only an hour hot water tank topping up during the night for 1.5hours.no other electic used at night such as washing /ishwashers. puzzled? been in house 9years in area 40km.southof limoges.[8-)]

Hi, Yesterday I RECEIVED A LETTER ON INTERNET STATING THAT neuf.fr was to become SFR.fr on 20thoctober..2009. I have used neuf for many years without too much problem except when trying to get assistancein englis by phone or e-mail. My french is from school about 45years ago----so rusty-- Can anyone who is having the same changeover let me know will my old mail be automatically transfered to SRF.fr or will I have to fiddle with the log-on proceedures and set up a new password . DETAILED ADVICE TO A COMPUTER  NOVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. Thanks

Well you did have an Ipswich logo on your nom-de plume-so that explains why you led us all up the garden path!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO you want to paint the bricks !!!!!!!!!!!definitely not the same as the wood paint!   And I SUPPOSE YOU WANT A "MATT" FINISH. IT DEPENDS WHAT PAINT HAS BEEN APPLIED UNLESS YOU WIREBRUSH IT ALL OFF TO PREVENT THE CHANCE OF NEW PAINT NOT STICKING TO OLD SUFACE PROPERLY. Your local paint shopshould be able to advise-the slightly alkaline nature of bricke can have an adverse efffect on oil paints. I would use emulsion exterior quality or the pliolite type paints(SOLVENT BASED) BOTH  HAVE GOOD DURABILITY ON SUCH SURFACES AS WELL AS CONCRETE.

Their are many brands of microporous paints.Ensure you remove by sanding all the old powdery paint and aplly 2-3 coats and it will last for years.You can purchase as a coloured Finish or translucent stain. Lasure is one of the brands I have used in France ON MY FENCE POSTS AND POOL SHED and  AFTER about 5 years approaches the excellent quality of the Norwegian  coloured wood paint -Demideckk and the translucent stain called Oxan. These are made by Jotun paints in uk and norway and I was technical manager before I retired [:D]8 years ago.   These type of paints are a blend of acrlic as used in emulsion paints and alkyds resins as used in solvent based gloss paints which were the typical products used in the U.K. FOR MANY YEARS .The blend is watersoluble but does not wash off when used  on outside woodwork and has outperformed the best exterior gloss paints available.  

hi, I AM A RETIRED PAINT CHEMIST-WISH I HAD STARTED MAKING PAINT IN FRANCE AS SOME OF THEIR QUALITY IS APALLING ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO OPACITY-that is the property that enables you to use less number of coats when covering a darker colour with a lighter colour. It depends what you are painting,where and your preference etc. If outside then gloss paints in the suunier climates will depending on the quality loose the gloss  quicker and eventually the surface top layer becomes chalky which can be rubbed off easily if you brush against it.In the case of opening shutters then the exposed side becomes nearly matt and original colour is masked,while the inside part -not exposed to the sun- is left generally in the original glossy condition. the toughnessof gloss or satin can be the same in the case of alkyd paints which is the solvent based products used for the last70 years. I n the last 20-30 years a water based -breathable-type has been produced which is outperforming the alkyd gloss paints-as long as you buy a quality brand.These have been shown o work on woodwork inside on outside. Must go and do some work in garden-collecting some firewood-bloody cold snap now started in Haute Vienne--wish I was living in Trinidad where I spent 6 years in my youth making anti-fungus paints for their houses.

well some don'tlisten and some don't read properly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![:P]   Only joking Fay ---don't want to upset someone else with my sense of humour----although you must have a sense of humour           to live in Northamtonshire!!!!   and Picardie.     must be a rich person living in Buckingham or Croughton or perhaps Stowe/Silverstone[:D][:P]------- you see I have been evicted from all of these places!!!!!! Actually I worked in SIGMA paint factory in Buckingham and lived in Croughton for4 years before I was head hunted to return to god's country   ----Newcastle ---WELL THE BEER IS BETTER THAN NORTHAMTON LAGER.[B][B][B]  

hi, I was not using son's card but his address. anyway I rang and asked if I could pay in £ as it seemed on their internet site  (ET),that you could not if you typed in that you live in France. lady said I COULD PAY IN £ sterling and said she would book me on the phone. When she quoted the prices i was dearer than advertised on their site BUT she said those bookings at the paricular price were all finished.!!!   seems to me abit of a fiddle by them!!1 HAD CALCULATED £140 RETURN BUT SHE OFFERRED AT £153!!! You just cannot win and to cap it all they sent me an e-mail with first crossing 4 days too early.!!!! You just cannot get the listening staff these days----they must be on a [:P] bonus for sales!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![8-)][:@][:(][6]

well i will try and book from france ith my card andgive sonn's addressin uk-see if booking reference is given. will ley you know as 40euro saved--a lot to a retired person in france with falling value of sterling when my small pension arrives here.

WHAT IF MY SON IN THE UK PAID FOR THE TUNNEL ALTHOUGH TICKET FOR MY USE ONLY AND WIFE???

When you pay by credit card do EUROTUNNEL CHECK THE CARD'S ADDRESS --CAN THEY IN FACT GET THIS INFORMATION??[8-)]