booboo

[quote user="napoleon"] So I'm not alone in continually missing the deadline to change! Every year I investigate new (and cheaper) house insurance but have failed to make the change. I know we all have different requirements and conditions but could anyone comment on the best company to deal with? Thanks, Alistair [/quote] I've done everything under the one roof for easiness: my bank!

Your bank is supposed to have a record of all direct debit authorisations you have signed; although if you don't send it, it won't change anything, as providing there's enough money on your account, they'll be paid anyway.

thanks for the update!

[quote user="Miki"] cleared, we cancelled our account with that bank, otherwise the charges for closing an account with them in some branches, is hilarious ! (wrong word I guess !!) [/quote]   For info, French banks are not allowed to charge anymore for current account closures.

[quote user="Jc"] One advantage of UK cards is that they are credit cards not charge cards like most of the French ones and they also come free(without an annual charge)-I still pay monthly in full. [/quote] surely its worth paying the minor card annual fee for a french credit card than having to suffer the exchange rate  + possibly a commission (often hid in the exchange rate) every time you use the UK card in France ? Some french banks do offer their credit cards free for life if you apply when opening the account (CA in paris does anyway) I've also got the french barclaycard and pay in full each month by direct debit.

UCB, that's BNP, and they're pretty bad and expensive! Have you not thought of contacting another french bank to buy 'rachat' your mortgage?? You could try credit agricole as they have english speaking branches (britline, ca paris...)

[quote user="Tony the Turner"]According to the Ouest France,  the head (English) honcho of Britline is presently on trial for extensive fraud.  The alleged booty is €400k or €650k depending on whether you accept the prosecution or defence version.  The accused admits the fraud but claims he was blackmailed and/or suborned to do it.  He is due to be sentenced on 30 May.  The French press have taken great delight in stressing that he is English! [/quote]   Dear Tony, Any latest news on your original thread?

Went today, not bad at all - got loads of freebies and Roses chocs from the British school of paris !! yummmmmy.

[quote user="Sunday Driver"] Policies come with breakdown cover (over 30kms from home) and you can opt for 0km (eg homestart) for an additional small premium. [/quote] With CA, you get Okm breakdown cover with no extra charge.

[quote user="Frogslegs"]'direct insurance' in France? Do you have a website address please![/quote]   Type it on google, and you'll get their website, but I would not recommend them!

I used my bank, and as they're all English, there was no problem. (CA Paris).They'll give you a quote by email. You'll need to get hold of your no claims certificate from your previous insurance as soon as possible (you have one month to provide it from when the new insurance is issued)

You'll always find cheaper and cheaper if you carry on looking; just make sure you check out exactly what's covered, and what happens after a claim. For eg direct insurance are cheap, but once you make a claim on your car insurance, they are known to cancel the contract! I personally have taken recently both through my bank CA, sent them an email for a quote and then went ahead with it!

He was only top of credit agricole Britline, and not any other credit agricole branches - there's over 7000 branches apparently, so I'm sure you'll find a decent one, English speaking or not!

mmm, it's a shame your BP bank contact can't help you then? Surely if he want's your file to go through, then he can pull his little finger out and get it sorted?? As far as CA goes, there are a few english branches, however britline and paris are the main ones. I only know the paris one, and they are good so far. Perhaps it might be worth the try doing a mortgage file elsewhere quickly? If you want to contact CA in paris, their main email is: [email protected] Afterall a weekend trip to paris is a good excuse for a shopping spree! best of luck for your mortgage.

Ask your bank for a quote too, some of them are advertising top up health cover too...

not sure about the mortgage clause, i'm sure others will. That's the problem with typically french banks; did you not try going through a french bank with a special english branch like credit agricole ? As the banks have their contracts with the insurance companies, i'm sure it would be ok in english with CA.

[quote user="alnmike"]Is this the same Vincent Gray of club95, VG consultants, 13 Rue des Coutures ; 14470, Reviers? [/quote] I think so, anyone in business with them better run a mile!  

out of curiosity, what bank did they recommend??

I think it's 2 years old

[quote user="andyh4"] Booboo yes you will, and should be taxed in France on your UK interest.  There are 2 things that you can do to avoid being taxed twice. 1.  Get the interest paid gross, since you are no longer UK resident (the NI form num,ber is given earlier in the thread)  Some institutions will not pay gross interest. 0r 2.  Claim back the UK tax from the Inland revenue in the UK. [/quote] Thanks for the quick feedback. I just mentionned it to a french colleague of mine, and she called the impot people for me, and I thought I better share this with you quickly so others in the same situation know this: Due to the french/UK convention for tax purposes, if you pay tax in the UK on interest earned on current/savings accounts, then you will not pay tax again in france, however they need to know about it for the calculation of your global tax rate. this is what he said to do: You fill out the 3916 decalration per account held in the UK. You fill out declaration 2047, page 2 in section B - 'interets'. You enter net amount of interest received (in euros) in box 'montant net encaissés en euros'; nothing to enter in 'pourcentage à appliquer' ; then in the next box 'credit d'impot ou impot etranger s'il est inferieur' you enter amount of tax paid in UK (in euros) You then fill out box TI on declaration 2042 with amount of interest received again. hope that helps other too!

[quote user="Sunday Driver"][quote user="beryl"] This is my first tax year too, is there anyone out there in receipt of a UK Civil Service pension ( as these have to be taxed in the UK) who can advise me where this information needs to go on the tax form. I'd hate to be taxed twice! We still pay UK tax on the little interest our UK bank account earns as it seemed easier to let it be. Will this cause any problems ? [/quote] All foreign earnings (pensions/bank interest) have to be entered on Form 2047 first, then transferred onto the main declaration Form 2042. Then on your Form 2042, normal "old age" retirement pension and company pensions go in Box AS and also in Box TL. Your civil service pension goes in Box TK (it remains taxed in the UK, not in France). Any UK bank interest you earn (however small) goes in Box TS. (Just come back from my local tax office where a helpful chap confirmed I'd done it right  [:$]     [/quote] Good morning! Sorry if this is stupid, but I'm a bit confused!! If my UK savings ac is still a 'resident' ac and therefore taxed in the UK; surely if I put the interest earned in box TS, it will be taxed again? Can I not use box TI so it will not be taxed again? !! Also looking at form 2047 that I'm supposed to fill out (along with the 3916 declaration) it says in the info notice that for interest earned in UK, that it is taxed exclusively in th eplace of residence ie. in my case France. So that applies surely to non resident UK accounts ? Any help would be really appreciated.  

Try contacting an english speaking french bank directly by email. There's britline or paris direct intl at credit agricole.

Thought I'd share this: I've just registered to go to the intl expat salon held at the CNIT in La defense 30th May (on for 3 days). It's free if you go online at avenir-export.com and they even offer reductions for your SNCF train ticket! See you there!

Have contacted the branch, and they were really efficient and helpful!

Not sure for all CA; as since my enquiry about the english branch of CA in Paris a week ago, I contacted them yesterday, and was really amazed by their fast and helpful customer service! Spoke to a guy called Paul, nice chap! Sounds like you're talking about a PEL. You can use them to get a mortgage on any french property wherever it is in France.