giantpanda

Hi! Normally before employing a gardener, you discuss the way he is going to be paid. It should be no problem to pay him with a chèque elploi if he agrees. Please note that with the chèque emploi, it is you who pays the social costs - in most case you can get a crédit d'impôts over you income tax declaration ( see 2042 , page 4 , box DF. See here: http://larecherche.service-public.fr/df/oxide?criteriaContent=cesu&Rechercher.x=0&Rechercher.y=0&Rechercher=tous&page=resultssprubs&action=launchsearch&DynRubrique=&DynCorpus=&DynDomain=SP New ( this month )  is you can get it on line, and do not have to ask a bank: http://www.cesu.urssaf.fr/flash/adhesion/demoCesu.html Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Do you hae a Carte Vitale? Have you named a "médecin traitant "? The French docotrs only get what you pay them - they get nothing from the State. Specialists can invest in a " private clinic " and have there beds rserved for their patients. On the other hand, The Head of Services in a Public hospital are allowed under certain conditions ( they pay to the hospital ) to see and treat  private patients at free tariffs. Yours, giantpanda You should look around this site: http://www.ameli.fr/

Hi! Is this one, after an inspection under the authority of the Mairie? If not it will also be done. You should ask the Mairie, if they contribute to the installation ( 0% to 100% is possible ). Yours, pomhorn

Hi! Mea culpa. Although the figure seemed unlikely the quote apparently was right. This was due to the change of the law, with the lower age and the necessity of having the signature of the partner. http://www.lemonde.fr/aujourd-hui/article/2008/11/18/inciter-au-don-de-spermatozoides_1120062_3238.html Thery are looking for donors: www.dondespermatozoïdes.fr I have not looked to see if there are similar restrictions for GB Expats as with blood donors. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! The trouble with the heading: New Social Charges on Foreign Earnings & Pensions in FranceIs that the article does not concern either. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! I would say this can be rather limited. And it is just a proposition; http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/business_money/iceland+pms+guarantee+on+savings/2827182 Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Basically all . But you can look at Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Parisien. But all French Papers of periodics have such pages, and they are pratically all in Paris. But not on every day. Suggest you look at the internet sites of these papers. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! To the information : No, I read it here http://www.physorg.com/news145730290.html Mostly you do have to check ( all the more so on a site outside the country concerned ) , especially when numbers seem out of range. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! May be your numbers are not suite right! Could it be a " département "?? http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_de_sperme Plus de 38 000 enfants sont nés sur le territoire français grâce à plus de 9 300 donneurs. Chaque année, ils sont plus de 4 000 couples à être demandeurs. If you want to be constructive - see here: http://enquetedetoi.mabulle.com/index.php/2007/06/19/70492-le-don-de-sperme-en-france It could be that the numbers of donors have been reduced as a consequence of the  new conditions:les lois dites de bioéthique révisées le 6 août 2004.  - Man must be under 46 - Man must already be a father - Required is the written  agreement of wife, Pacsée or concubine. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Here the answer from a French site: ta cpam a du t'envoyer avec le guide de surveillance médicale "mère/nourisson", un formaulaire vert (3 volets), intitulé "déclaration en vue du rattachement des menbres de la famille des assurés pour le bénéfice de l'assurance maladie et maternité" (ouf ct long !!!), tu dois remplir ce formualire (2 volets sont à renvoyé a la caisse ou à l'organisme choisi pour le ratachement des ayants droit, accompagné d'une copie du livret de famille ou d'un acte de naissance. Basically : you must have receive a guide for your baby, and with it a green form called:déclaration en vue du rattachement des menbres de la famille des assurés pour le bénéfice de l'assurance maladie et maternité Fill 2 etc...... If you do not have it, you can download: http://www.ameli.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/formulaires/S3126.pdf Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Check! Of course you can still open an account. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! She can still run as "ayant droit" until she is a student. Then she has to register and pay here: http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F675.xhtml Immatriculation de l'étudiant  En principe, les bénéficiaires sont déjà immatriculés à la sécurité sociale depuis la terminale. Dans le cas contraire, la démarche est effectuée par l'établissement d'enseignement supérieur auprès de la CPAM, dans les 8 jours qui suivent l'inscription de l'étudiant. La caisse adresse à l'étudiant sa carte d'immatriculation. En cas de défaillance de l'établissement, l'immatriculation peut être effectuée à l'initiative de la caisse primaire d'assurance maladie, à la demande du préfet de Région ou de l'intéressé au moyen du formulaire de déclaration en vue de l'immatriculation d'un étudiant. and here: http://www.google.fr/search?source=ig&hl=fr&rlz=&=&q=carte+vitale+et+%C3%A9tudiant&btnG=Recherche+Google&meta=&aq=f Yours, giantpanda

Hi! A good time to remind, that is one of the points you should consider before considering settling in France. Some may remember at the time of decision for going into the Euro, one of the reason why GB refused was that the their countries wanted to depreciate the GBP by somewhat more than 10%. So if you intend to settle in France, and not go back ( also after a first death ) it is necessary to consider to reconsider your investments, even if it tempting ( if you have not reviewed the investment possibilities in France )  to leave investments in GB because of " apparently " higher interests. Unfortunately for most pensions*/ private pensions you do not have the choice, and that can hit you quite considerably if you are dependant on them. Yours, giantpanda * I am told you cash get on some pensions contracts , a lump sum, but I do not know the details.

Hi! Do redo you thinking at the income reduction! Your "engineering" does not work, because a donation or a présent d'usage, does not have any impact on the sum you have to declare. Further with an income of Euro 20,000, the Tax office would query what you think to be " present d'usage , as not in proportion to your estate ( unless you did own quite some property). From Service Public ": Le présent d'usage donné à l'occasion d'événements familiaux porte quant à lui sur de faibles montants et doit être proportionnel à l'état de fortune du donateur. Il n'est pas rapportable à la succession Important would be that the " présent d'usage are regular. There is no sum indicated in the law( that would be too easy ), and it is of the appreciation of the Tax Office . If you want some sort of indication, in another near field, concerning the life insurance. In a succession you can contest late contribution to a contract ( NB. All contracts ) , if they are over 2.9% of your total estate, per year. This figure is not in the law, but results of divers jurisprudence. Notwithstanding, the allowances for donations are big enough to make such ( not to 3rd parties ) but of course they have the disavdantage, that if the " héritiers réservataires " knowing this, are disadvantaged, that the amounts will be included in the sums attributed in the succession. Yours, giantpanda PS. You can check the details with your Notaire friend.

Hi! Starting getting OK by the same doctor you saw initially. Then see: http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F1644.xhtml Yours, giantpanda

Hi! The change of the rate of interest  was certainly part of the initial contrat, which they could have hardly changed without your approval. Yes, you can make extra payments if you wish to. But have a look at the costs. http://www.dossierfamilial.com/logement/acheter-vendre/credit-immobilier-combien-coute-un-remboursement-anticipe,459 Yes, you can renegotiate the contract. You need however other offers from other banks, to compare. It may be best to wait for the extra payment, till you have the offers. And beware of the extra costs. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! To be able to work as a GP in France, you have 2 main outlets. 1. You can get engaged in a public hospital, where the rules concerning the approval of your capacities is considered in a different way, as it will be in the private sector - I do not know the details. However foreign doctors working in hospitals are unfortunately for them considered 2nd class as regards pay -  they will not be paid at the same level as a French college, and will not be allowed to move to the private sector without the necessary confirmation. Here there are certainly jobs to be had. 2. In the remaing sector, as a GP you need to be approved by the "Securité Sociale", because living on patients who only pay privately in full, will be rather difficult, even in Paris. As I gather ( I may be wrong ) ,you need to be " confirmed " - this may not be the right term, but it means following a general course which can take some 2 years. But there are possibly exceptions. Unfortunately all the links are in French! Best is to get official advice from the " Ordre des Médecins ". http://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr/ Then on this site see: http://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr/?url=instal/article.php&id=1 and this relative to GB: http://www.web.ordre.medecin.fr/med_instal/royaume-uni.pdf Generally speaking the French system due to the centralisation of the formations, is completely lopsided, in as much that Paris and the Ile de France has too many doctors, and that the province has too few. On of the main reasons it that most refuse to live in the province ( or end of the world ) whereby the part played by the spouse is essential. As a result, many towns, and villages are desperately to get a GP locally established, and will help financially or with premises. Difficult to appreciate if the help proposed is an incentive enough. To sell a medical cabinet ( the goodwill ) in France , even for specialists, even for those where there is a demand, is getting next to impossible. What the State would like to change the organisation, in as much as in the country, they establish what can be called a "medical center". A building where several GP, nurses, etc. all exercise, so that one can always replace the other. This is more or less left to the local authorities, and cash is missing. It does seem that there  is a abnormality in the French system, for the Mutuelles, who sometimes run a medical cabinet for their members where foreign doctors are employed just on their home diploma ( at least I know the case of one specialist* ). * In this case I would consider that this is completely irresponsible, because not only the person is not aware of certain standard examinations done in France, or incapable of doing them for children, and not capable to recording the work done, because he has not gone through the necessary " updating ". For a GP it may be different, whereby a certain knowledge of French would be essential. So basically you need the help of the " Ordre des Médecins ", who may have special services for foreign doctors willing to settle in France. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! if you pay for your "résidence principale", you do not pay for the " secondaire ". Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Before you start to look at the big picture, I would suggest that you start at the bottom, because the way the French do a budget is different from the way other countries do them. further you have to be aware of the posts which are incompressible due to the social policy. Look for example at new laws and remember that in France a new law does not apply before the " décrêts d'application " are made by the Ministry - this can take 6 months, sometimes, they are never made ( eg. the registration of foreigners at the Mairie after 3 months ) or the essence of the law can be totally changed., and ask yourself how they are financed. You will hardly find anything, simply because in a law discussion the matter is not really appreciated if one can afford it or not. Th principle of the law is more important. Not so important is that fact that many French laws never get applied, simply because after no budgets are allocated. eg. some 3 years ago there was a law passed for the integration of foreigners, which implicated free French lessons. Apart from a test in Lyon, this never got started and is completly forgotten.. No cash. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! It is a standard part of a " multirisques habitation ". It would be playing lottery to have none. Legal support is not necessarily a must, and depend really if you can afford it, and your life style. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! If you bring a E121 you will not pay for the basic French Health Insurance CMU - Couverture Medicale Universelle. Notwithstanding you normally need a private top-up in France, and at least one for hospital costs, fi you canot afford the general one. Only if you have a rock bottom income, you can get a State top up free which is means tested; http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F10027.xhtml NB. Plafond de resources, means all your income, gross before any allowance. Do not confuse Health Insurance with CSG ( Contribution Sociale Généralisée ) which is in fact an income tax  paid separately  on unearned income ( also any British ). Yours, giantpanda

Hi! See the French links: http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid8/le-systeme-educatif.html http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syst%C3%A8me_%C3%A9ducatif_fran%C3%A7ais and the " Grandes Ecoles " http://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/cid20194/grandes-ecoles.html Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Fill this form, and they will give it back to you. You can try to claim for the last 3 years.Then you would have to add a little letter; http://www.impots.gouv.fr/portal/deploiement/p1/fichedescriptiveformulaire_2339/fichedescriptiveformulaire_2339.pdf Sending a simple  email is mostly a waste of time. Yours, giantpanda  

Hi! One day you could get a fine, for not declaring Income  in France ( with do not mean you would pay taxes ) . You may be surprised to lean, that there could be some advantage of being a French resident. It start with the " the Taxe d'habitation ", the "Redevance Audiovisuelle" if you are over 60, not to speak of help you may require in future years. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! If you have income in one country , you normally declare the income, and the taxes you paid. Basically this will work for loses too. I can not help you on how to declare this in GB! Yours, giantpanda