Davidball

I'm lucky enough tio have a wine merchant in the village . . . . he delivers 5 litres of good AOC Minervois for £1 a litre, the very quafffable rose is 70p a litre, as is the vin de table . . . he just asks for the cubes back . . .and always service with a smile :) David

I've (sadly) been to several funerals in our small community. One thing that is interesting, only the 'believers' go into the church, the rest 'non believers?' wait outside for the churchy bit to be over, the follow the cortege with the rest to the cimtere. Nice that there's room for a bit of honesty :) David

Obviously not been to Peckham recently! D

I think as it's part of a taxed UK Divorce and the ex is paying UK CGT on the offset against the marital home, and i don't own another home, (or won't when I sell) there shouldn't be UK CGT on my resale of it!

No, I'm in the UK, but this will be my only property, I pay tax in the UK, I'm anticipating 16% on any increase between the transfer and resale prices. D

Hi guys . . .me again . . . . As part of the divorce settlement, my ex is going to transfer her french house to me, for which she will be paying UK CGT. If I sell it straight away, will I be liable for any CGT ? Is this enough info for an answer? David

For a stay of up to 3 months (short stay - multi entry) You need to ask at your Marie for an attestation d'accueill (sp?) which is  an offical invite from you  showing your property owning status, the details of the house and habitability, and the details of the visit and all stamped and endorsed by the Marie. You will also need a timbre Fisacal for 15 Euro's from your local tresoir public. This needs to be sent to your GF and she will need to apply in her country of residence to the French embassy/conulate for a short stay visa, will need to show return flight reservations and travel insurance to cover the period. I've had to do this a few times for my Thai GF who is at present a student in the UK. Had problems getting her back into the UK one time though, they checked out all her documentation before they'd let her back in. Uni courses are the cheapest way of getting a long term visa as the courses are inexpensive and attendance isn't checked. by French immigration (unlike the UK where less than 70% attendance can result in refusal of an extention.) Hope this is helpful David

t's about 2 hours from Carcasonne to Andorra. 3 Choices of route really.... easiest but longest, head to Toulouse on the motorway turn left on the Foix interchange and  follow the signs. otherwise, take the N whatever to Toulouse, turn left at mirpoix and follow the signs to Foix (Take a map!) or head south through Limoux, take a map and follow the signs and pick up the road from Barcelona. the last two routes take about the same . . .with the second one pasing with in metres of the Spanish border, so you can have a gander there too. Andorras a bit of a dump at the border, but it makes a great day out especially if you want to have an afternoons skiing in the season :) PS re,member to fill the car with non drinkers and smokers so you can get their duty free allowance too. On the was home stop at Ax le Thermes, open one of your duty free bottles and sit with your feet in the thermal pool enjoying a nip or two with friends :) David

PM sent to your inbox David

Egger, what does your husband do? I have an empty house that could be availabale if he is a useful chap about the place... David

What does your other half do for a living? D

Phone number (From pages jaune online) 04 68 47 88 19

There's a very nice restaraunt at the Airport, in fact my next door neighbours had their wedding reception there. There is a cafe bit for nsakc and quick food, but the restaraunt has a full range of menus, + a very good self service starters buffet, eat as much as you like. Most tourists seem to use the cafe bit with local business men in the resto . . . worth a butchers and not too pricey, relaxed and proffesional. David

Yes, you usually get a choice, Oak and Ash (Chene & Hetre I think!) being more expensive and Chestunt (Chatignier) being cheaper. A delivery is usually 3 cubic metres which I think is a peal, around £100, a stere is 1 cubic metre.

Marcel Revel, on the Pont Rouge trading estate (Where Intermarche and Netto are) on the Mazamet road enter off little roundabout then first right and first right. They will offer you a choice usually,(take a list of woods if you want to know what they're talking about!) And they charge for delivery (probably quite a bit to Pradelles!) You might find someone nearer, ask a neighbour,  they'll know where you can get it. David

Pradelles is too high for dogs, they freeze to death in the winter ;)

How does one go about joining the French system if living on savings rather than income? Or How does one get a holiday home to be a residence if not working? Thanks . . . .! David

You need more than a good tin opener for Confit . . . I don't know how they make the tins, but the lip is too high. I've tried several tin openers and always have to finish of with a stout sharp knife. David

B*u*g*g*e*r! I did the Quiz . . . seems I have to live till 90! - longer if I give up driving! Gonna have to review my pension provision ;) David

Link doesn't work! David

I am self employed in the uk, but have been working 50/50 uk france but paying tax in the UK. I would like to upgrade the french house to my main residence so I can sell it without paying CGT. I am in the process of negotiating a property split. The notaire has said that it's possible to do a donation entre epouse from wife to me and that there is 7% tax payable by me if the price is over E67k. He recommended therefore to transfer it at a value of E70k to avoid paying too much tax, and not looking as if defrauding the impots by paying no tax! This sounds ok, as Wife will have no CGT to pay on the Donation. HOWEVER, when I come to sell (at a more realistic price) then I would have to pay CGT at whatever it is 46% of profit? if it's a maison secondaire. I was thinking that a def 7% of 100% now is much more palatable than 46% of  50% in the future. BUT in the back of my mind I think I remember there being another threshold on the Donation at which the tax becomes payable at 15% . . . .Anyone else been down this narrow path before? ANY comments gratefully received! David

I thought (cos I must have been told) that it was possible to be domiciled in France but tax resident in the UK if that is where one's earnings are made. That it was simply a case of signing a paper when changing your house status from Secondary to Primary. david

It's funny isn't it after x years of toryism and a further x years of Blairism/new labourism, one forgets what socialism can be all about. It's nice, but it's also a shame that the French have also to be so protectionist about everything too. One can only be a post person if you're French! How does that fit in with he European dream I wonder! David

Visited Pradelles Caberdes on Sunday on my Sunday afternoon drive to the Pic de Nore, very nice, but quite chilly in winter i'd guess? David

whereabouts north of carcasonne did you end up in? David