Carina

OK - lets see if I hvae got this right then!  My wife and I pay tax in the UK after deduction of our personal allowances on our Local Authority pensions and probably on my Incapacity benefit as well.  Meanwhile my private pension will be paid to me gross with no deductions. For the French taxation forms (does anyone know where I can get one - we live in Orne) all of our income is declared as our 'household' income, our French personal allowances will be deducted and our taxation calculated.  The tax paid in the UK will then be deducted from this figure and we will pay the balance. I also understand that we will pay tax in France at the rate our 'total' income dictates as the rate - can anyone tell me the tax bands in France? However I don't think we will be high rate tax payers in France (we should be so lucky!) And I thought the research I did in the UK was OK!  Little did I know I was expected to read section 19 of the Double Taxation Act between France and the UK!!! Thanks again for all the help Best regards Paul

Please can anyone help!  I am currently totally bewildered (well I have today also done my car registration!).  I have also just phoned my tax office in the UK,  some 5 weeks ago I informed them that we were now  French residents and sent the neccessary forms (to each tax office) to do this.  I was then expecting to register with the relevent departments in France in order to do my duty and pay French taxation.  Then this week both my wife and I recieved coding notices from the UK tax offices!  On phoning them we have been told that as we are both in reciept of local authority pensions (County Council and Teacher) these pensions would be taxed in the UK.  However we would still have to declare them in France under the World income rule and they would be taken into consideration by the French tax authorities - whatever that may mean?  To make matters even more complicated I also recieve another company pension and also Incapacity Benefit. Please can anyone make sense of this - maybe a retired Teacher or local Authority employee or someone that knows a lot more than me.  It seems that all the recearch I did before moving out to France is totally irelevent.  Thanks for any help

Hi Is your wife in reciept of either Incapacity Benefit or Invalidity Benefit in the UK - if so it is my understanding that she will have an E106 that would be valied until her normal retirement age. Regards Carina

Hello, some may well remember me from queries whilst researching our move - well - we have now moved!!!  We are well settled (3 weeks) near Bagnoles De L'Orne in Normandy.  I have now heard of changes to the health system in France and gathe that after E121 expires then no cover.  Can anyone please tell me what happens if you are in reciept of Incapacity Benefit as I have been led to believe that my E121 will be valied until my retirement.  Does this mean that I will be eligable for a Carte Vitale and be a member of CPAM as before.  In other words no changes. Do the French Goverment really wish to lose the boost to their economy that they recieve from British Residents, after all they all bring in thousands of pounds into the French economy and apart from health take almost no benefits out of the system.  I bet the British Goverment wish that they were in the same position eh! Thanks as allways for all the help that exists in these pages!

Hi Benjamin I think I now understand the forms I need just 2 things I think are still confusing me! I ahve now been told I will get an E121 sent to my French address soon after I move there.  Can you please tell me (or anyone else that reads this) what do I do with it.  Do I take it to a Doctor or to the local CPAM office.  In other words what order do I do things - Doctor then CPAM or CPAM then Doctor. Bearing in mind as I am Diabetic I will have to visit with a Doctor faily quickly to obtain the drugs/insulin that I need. Also where do I find the address for the nearest CPAM office, we will be living near Bagnoles De L'Orne, Orne, Normandy.   Thanks again everybody (hope one day to be able to help as well) Paul

Hi Benjamin After a phone call to Newcastle they confirm that as a reciever of Incapacity Benefit I qualify for an E121 - my wife also can become a dependant on this E121.  So good news and a saving of 8% of income!!  Apparantley when one of us is of pension age we then have to apply for another E121 to continue. Thanks for your help - what would us Brits deperate to get out do without you people eh!!! Paul

Hello - some questions if I may on the French health service: am I right in assuming that to qualify for a Carte Vitale you have to be in reciept of a state pension from the UK?  If a wife is 60 and the husband 62 do both recieve free health.  Do you still need top-up insurance i.e. how much does the Carte Vitale cover.  Lastly (I fear only for now) does reciept of Incapacity Benefit qualiry for a Carte Vitale. Profuse apoligies for the number of questions - we have now bought our house near Bagnoles De L'Orne in Normandy and hope to move over in July, we are early retired (me 57 and wife 55) and any other advice particually on Taxation and health would be gratefully recieved.  I am seriously Diabetic injecting insulin and taking about 18 pills per day so would particually like to hear from any diabetics out there that could help. Thanks all for interesting contributions Very confused Paul

Hello Can anyone please tell me approximatley how much it costs to insure a car in France. We are moving permanantly to France in August, I intend to register my car in France, I am aged 57 drive a 2 year old Volvo V70 Diesel and have 8 years UK no claim discount.  Axa have quoted me 1080 Euros' - did I do something wrong or tell them something wrong. I was under the impression that car insurance in France was cheaper than in the UK! I would be grateful for any help - thank you Carina

Hi Will Do you or anyone else know where I can find out how much 'Top Up Insurance' will cost.  I am 56 and my wife 55 - I just want a rough idea as we are retiring early and will be living on pension income and I would like to draw up some sort of budget. Thanks Carina

Hi Sunday Driver What a comprehensive reply - thanks ever so much for that. Just a couple of questions your reply raises:  My pension (private) will be approx 9600 Euro's PA and my wifes (private) will be approx 17,200 Euro's PA  1) How do I work out the taxes - ie what percentage would we pay.  2) Is the healthcare based on Household income or is it based on individual income.  Our ages are 56 (me) and 55 so both under state pension age, however I may qualify for Incapacity benefit in the UK so preume I will also get that in France. Thanks for your help Carina

We are moving to France next year and will be early retiring on pensions (age 56 & 55).  Can anyone please tell me what we will have to pay per year to join the French system. I am Diabetic controlled on Insulin and my wife is in good health. I have heard that Diabetis is a chronic illness in France (the same as UK) and that means the French Health service is free to me but does this just mean Diabetic related treatment or does it mean all.  Also does it mean that my drugs etc will be free? Thanks

We are moving to France next Sept and we are retiring early (56 & 55) our pensions I presume will be paid in the UK - can anyone tell us where we will pay tax - UK or France. Also what would happen if Pensions were paid in France? Thanks