Bertiebe

Hi Lynda Hope you don't mind me checking some info with you regarding log burners.  We have ordered our log burner on-line and a local chauffagiste is going to install it for us.  I believe we also need to have the chimney lined and we are having trouble getting an exact quote from our guy.  Would you be prepared to tell me roughly how much your installation cost?  Also, I have read lots of threads on this site stating that if the wood burner is not purchased and installed by the same company on one invoice then you cannot claim the Credit D'impot.  I note that in your thread you said you can submit the invoice from supplier and installer.  Did this work, did you managed to get the tax back on the price of the fire? Any help would be appreciated, as we are in a remote part of the Pyrenees and our choice of suppliers and installers is pretty limited. Many thanks. Chris & Bert

Hi On this thread can you tell me if Acrylic Primer is available in France and if so what it is called please?  Seems to be a lot of us about with loads of varnished tongue and groove, must have been popular in France!!!! Thanks for help

As the French tax year runs Jan/Dec and the UK Tax year runs April/March I assume I will not have completed my self assessment for declaring UK rental income in the UK until well after the deadline for the French tax return.  Can anyone advise how they get around this situation? Also, I am in the unusual situation that this year (and possibly in future years) my rental income in the UK after agents fees etc. will be below my UK tax allowance, and therefore I assume I will not have to pay tax on it even though I will declare on my self assessment.  Does anyone know whether this means I will have to declare it as unpaid on my French Tax Return and if so what box this should go in? Thanks to everyone for help and info.

Thanks Cassis and Lou, will try again in a couple of weeks and perhaps the 2007 form will then be available.

Lou Thanks for this info.  Could you please give link to Impot website, I have got several different addresses and not sure which is right, also give clue to where to find the relevant Tax forms to download on said website? Thanks for help

Cooperola Many thanks for swift reply. Bertiebe

Sorry everyone just read the thread re "Rental Income and UK Tax Return", seems as though there is a lot of mixed advice out there on this subject and difficult to know what is the best solution.  I assume if we pay tax in the UK, then we will declare info on French tax return and this information will still be used as basis for our charges to join the French health system once the E106 has expired? Any info gratefully received. Chris (Bertiebe's other half)

Hi Great information on tax for us new arrivals here, thank you.  Sorry to add another question to the pot, but we receive rental income on a property in the UK and we believed that this income had to be taxed in the UK.  Recently however, we were advised by a Financial Adviser that we would have to declare and pay French tax on the UK rental income and that the french tax office would not look favourably upon us paying tax in the UK.  Can anyone advise if this is correct please? Also, is it possible to download the tax return online, this will be our first French tax return as we arrived in June 2006? Many thanks Chris (Bertiebe's other half)

Dave & Olive, Excellent gen, thanks a lot.  That's the sort of thing this forum should be about. 'Bert & Chris

Hi We have a parquet floor (the small blocks of wood mosaic parquet) in our appartment and unfortunately when moving in we managed to scratch a few of the tiles.  We are due to move into our retreat in the mountains in a couple of months, and would like to know if anyone has information on repairs.  Is it possible to lightly sand down the scratches and then treat with a filler and varnish?   Any information on techniques and products available in France would be appreciated as we would love to get our deposit back on the Flat. Apologies if this has been asked before but unable to find repairing parquet on the search.  Happy New Year to everyone on the forum, some great advice found here. Chris (Bertiebe's other half)

We've just bought a place burried in the heart of the Pyrenees and are going through these same agonies.  At the risk of stating the blinding obvious and with apologies if this has been posted before but I found this document: http://www.ademe.fr/Collectivites/bois-energie/docs/depliantch.pdf quite useful from the renewable energy agency.  Apart from anything else, it has quite a comprehensive list of chaudiere manufacturers, some of which (DeDietrich and Energie79 seem quite good) have quite a lot of good information on their sites and networks of distributers all over France.  Also the document cites www.anah.fr who seem to have all the regulatory stuff. Hope this is of some help to those of you going through the decision process.

Many thanks Will.  By the way do you have to send off the receipt as proof of payment with the Feuille de Soins in order to make your claim? Bertiebe's other half.

Hi I have read numerous threads on the forum regarding receiving your Carte Vitale from CPAM once you have registered with your E106 form.   I registered in Toulouse in June and was only given an Attestation with a temporary Social Security Number and told to give that when visiting the Doctor.  I was also advised by CPAM that I did not have to register with a Medecin General as my cover from the E106 was not the same as a French person.   Has anyone else come across this situation? Thanks for any info, as I am just about to submit my 1st "feuille" to CPAM to claim back (I'm not sure how much of ) my payment. Cordialement (is that correct) Bertiebe's other half

Andy makes a good point... and this is exactly what our vendeur is proposing.  Seems to be 'unofficial' as I thought but goes on all the time.  As I see it this has both pluses and minuses for the buyer. On the plus side, the purchaser benefits from paying notaires fees on only the 'over the top of the table' amount. On the minus side, yes the purchaser may have to pay for a greater profit margin later AND, what if you pull out as a result of 'clauses suspensifs'?  I bet you'll have a whale of a time trying to get the 'au dessus du table' money back. Of course we shall not be considering anything faintly shady.

OK, I thought it would be useful to people to keep a running record of our experiences: So, we've gone in at 168000 Euros on a house which was for sale for 190000 (seems to be about the going rate in the village; even the agent thinks 190000 is a tad steep).  Initially the owner said 'absolument pas!' but has since mellowed (in a single day) and now seems to be trying to cut a deal.  I don't understand all the ins and outs that the agent is trying to explain but it seems that the owner will take 173000 and will do our bathroom up for free and there's something about a tax dodge which benefits him (I haven't figured this bit out yet but my other half remembers reading something in the magazine about if the house is sold by the end of the year they don't pay tax fonciere/d'habitation).  The agent is not willing to send me an e-mail describing the details so it sounds rather 'unofficial' to me.  Anyone come across any fiddles which sound like this before? So far it's rather fun. Thanks to Cassis and Eslier for your input.

We are relatively new to France, but after much research think we have found the house of our dreams.  The question is this, the house has been on the market for 3 to 4 months and apparently the Agent has advised the seller that he will have to accept a reduction in price.  The house is advertised at Euro: 190,000 (incl agents fees).  Can anyone give us any guidance on the approximate amount we should offer ( we have heard that we should not be taken for a ride and should offer only 60-70% of the asking price!!)  Any advice would be gratefully received. Secondly, there appears to be a few woodworm holes in the floorboards of one of the bedrooms (very tiny and looks like furniture beetle according to one of the UK websites), should this be something to worry about.  I have heard the house is not in a termite region (Haute Pyrenees). Thanks for any info.