tinabee

Just submitted a claim for French investment income only (AV and Livret) so will update when we hear anything.

Until cheque books are phased out like in the Netherlands http://www.bankaccountadvice.co.uk/cheques-being-phased-out.html

As Chancer says, cash is not the same as money. Sweden is already heading towards a cashless society - lots of articles if you google it. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/11/welcome-sweden-electronic-money-not-so-funny Cash payments in France are now limited to €1000 Banks can decide how much of your money you can have in cash in a branch, but HSBC will want proof of what you want to spend it on http://www.bbc.com/news/business-25861717

Everything is fine until cash is banned and the banks impose negative interest rates, an idea floated by the chief economist of the Bank of England https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/109727

The simplest way to solve your healthcare cover problem would be to register as an Autoentrepreneur for your artisan business. There are no minimum turnover requirements for getting healthcare cover, so it would be the quickest option. AFAIK you would register for healthcare with RAM. Their website is LARAM.FR which will have all the details. The other simple method is to get a temporary job, which pays enough to get healthcare cover as an employee. You would need to earn 60 x minimum wage (SMIC) within one month or 120 x SMIC within 3 months to qualify. But as you can see, you can only register for healthcare at CPAM once you have earned enough and can prove it with payslips. Have a look on the AMELI.FR website for the details. Whichever method you use to get cover, you will then need to register your wife as a dependent (ayant droit) in order for her to be covered on your insurance.

[quote user="lindal1000"]But isn't it the government that protects the first 100000 if the bank goes bust...but after that forget it! It always pays to have some FU money stashed in cash somewhere just in case everything goes very wrong![/quote] The government only covers deposits in government regulated accounts, e.g. LEP, Livret A, etc. Other accounts are covered by the FGDR which is a private organisation funded by the banks themselves - details here https://www.garantiedesdepots.fr/en/fonds-de-garantie-des-depots-et-de-resolution/financing-and-management-fgdr If the FGDR doesn't have enough money to cover the deposits of a failed bank, it can ask its members for further contributions or borrow money. Although where it would borrow from is not clear from their website.

Sadly I can't find anything more recent, of an official nature, regarding French situation. But either way, I imagine that bank deposits are not secure if a bank goes bust

At the moment depositors are still protected up to €100,000 The process of the scheme is detailed here http://www.garantiedesdepots.fr/sites/default/files/brrd_-_dgs_and_resolution_financing_0_0.pdf However, in Austria bank deposits are no longer protected by the state - article here http://www.thelocal.at/20150410/bank-deposits-no-longer-guaranteed-by-state

You can look up a company on this website https://www.infogreffe.fr/societes/ It will tell you the last time they reported accounts and whether they were in profit or not. If you click on the ANNONCES BODACC tab you will be able look on the official website which covers any legal or administrative changes, e.g. if they are in liquidation or other measures

You will need to pay for diagnostic tests but most of these will only be needed when you have a prospective buyer. However, the energy performance (DPE) test is normally needed as a condition of advertising.

Try http://www.daniel-moquet.com/createur-allees/ - they seem to have franchises in a number of areas

It is pretty straightforward to apply to pay voluntary contributions from abroad. Just complete the form with your work or self-employment record and you will be sent a summary of the options for making-up your years. I have been in France since 2006 and have worked part time, on and off during several of those years. Once you have completed the form, the options for payment and the costs are sent to you. I had the option of paying the lower contributions for the weeks I worked and the higher rate for the other weeks. You have to pay for complete tax years, but it is possible to choose which years to pay for to make up the missing years.

AFAIK whether you are liable for social charges on your pension income depends on how your healthcare is covered. In early retirement I would assume you do not have the S1 form, so would either have CMU-B or full private cover. If you have CMU-B then the charges on pension income is 8% total. The social charges on savings interest is 15.5%. I am sure someone will be along soon regarding the deductions.

also check that the boundaries are already clearly marked out and recorded at the land registry (cadastre). If an official survey is required to mark out the boundaries (by a geometre) then this can be very costly (possibly several hundreds of euros). If it is required, you could make it a condition of the purchase that the purchaser pays.

You will need to take your payslip(s) to the CPAM office to prove you are paying the required contributions out of your salary. Depending on your level of salary this may be just the first month's payslip or the first 3 months. The qualifying levels of contributions are detailed on the Ameli.fr website. I would imagine that you will also need to inform URSSAF that you are now employed and covered for healthcare via your employment.

The new rules are really only useful if you want to disinherit someone who would be a reserved heir under French law. French inheritance tax will continue to be payable, irrespective of the inheritance laws applied.

If you are unmarried then inheritance tax at 60% on half the value of the house will be due, irrespective of how you purchased the property, unless you purchased using a specific property ownership company called a Societé Civile Immobiliere (SCI). If you purchased en tontine and you die first, your children will not inherit the house unless you make specific provisions in France, and they will still be liable for 60% tax on the full value as your partner is not their blood relation. If your partner dies first, there will be no problems and much less tax for your children to pay, as there are generous inheritance tax allowances for children.

You may need to ask the DWP to provide a separate S1 in your name as his dependent, rather than ask the CPAM to register you as an ayant droit.

The way I read it is that prior to 2015 the commune could reclaim it's cost of extending or upgrading the electricity network from the individual applying for planning permission using the PVR process - this reclamation of costs incurred by the commune is not the same as the new connection charges normally paid by owners. Since the change in the law the commune can no longer reclaim these costs so the CU is not likely to be granted. Have a read of this original circular regarding the PVR http://www.bulletin-officiel.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/fiches/BO20043/A0030077.htm

Isn't the 17.7% only applicable to dividends - not bank savings interest?

If anyone wants official i.e. Banque de France historical exchange rates they publish daily rates , month-end rates and monthly averages https://www.banque-france.fr/en/economics-statistics/rates/exchange-rates.html If you open each section and click on the currency - the rates go back to 1999

I know of people who complete online returns but just email a list of overseas accounts to their tax office (i.e. the equivalent of submitting on a separate sheet as specified on the paper form).

I have never heard of anyone needing landscaping permission - but if you wanted to be sure, why not call into the local Town Hall (Mairie) and ask. I know in some communes there are rules about the types of hedging allowed - so it it always possible that there a local requirements that do not exist across the whole of France.

A couple of things - an official translation of the death certificate would most likely be done by a court approved translator (traducteur assermente) - not at the Mairie. There are translators who can handle all these things online and by post. One important question - did your mum die in France or in the UK? If it was in the UK, I believe you will have up to 12 months to get the inheritance tax declaration and other formalities completed. Also, be aware that the notaires fees (on top of any inheritance tax) are likely to run into several thousands. There is a guide here (in French) but an online translator will give you an idea http://succession.comprendrechoisir.com/comprendre/frais-de-succession

You only include your earnings from the date you arrived in France up to 31st December. It is worth putting a note on the form to state the date you arrived.