chocccie Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Does the amount of bathrooms one has bear any relation to the level of taxation? (I am currently planning the layout of a building and pondering on how many bathrooms).I had to fill in an official survey earlier in the year and was asked about how many bathrooms I have ... wondered if this might have anything to do with taxation (I seem to remember being told that the more bathrooms one has ....)Thanks folks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 In a word, yes. When we added an extra bathroom our local taxes went up. Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 and WCs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babcock Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 "Comfort points" was the way our insurance agent classed them. I believe that it includes a second sink in a utility area as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 We have been told that it also applies to basins in the room along with a WC. We had one installed in ours, but French neighbours who have been in to look around (it's a new apartment block) were surprised to see it. They all said it would cost more in tax.Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Yes, that's why you seldom see handbasins next to WCs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Yes, I gather that is so; I'd often thought it odd that there was almost never one next to a WC. It seems such a sensible thing to have, but I suppose if you have to fork out extra taxes.....We had similar comments about the WC we had installed in the bathroom!Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Good grief! How amazing; a tax on personal hygene! When we were house-hunting we were always surprised at seeing WCs without basins, so this explains it. Do they carry out inspections? I'm sure there's a stiff fine if caught out, but how would they know?One of the first things I'm planning to do is to install a basin in the loo; but what sort of cost are we talking? 10, or even 100€ per annum would be bearable; much more is an invitation to, erm, feign ignorance of the law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 The scale used to establish the "rentable" value of properties goes back to the 70's, in the days where 1 bathroom and 1 WC per property were judged to be sufficient. Like with the council tax tables in the UK, there is ongoing talk about re-assessing the scale and its applications to bring them in line with modern living... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocccie Posted September 10, 2008 Author Share Posted September 10, 2008 I suppose it is too much to hope that there is some kind of published sliding scale, so one could assess how much extra tax an extra bathroom or basin etc would cost????! [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearly Retired (I am now) Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 How to the authorities get to know what you've got? We started with one bathroom with a basin and shower in it, and one separate WC sans basin. In addition we now have a basin fitted in that WC and a new separate shower room with shower, basin and WC. I didn't tell anyone - should I have done? Does the plumber report it to the tax authorities?I confess that when we had a velux roof light installed I added a note on my sketch to accompany the Declaration saying it was needed for more light in a dark corner. Somehow I omitted to say that one day in the future that I just might partition off that part and make a shower room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 You're supposed to let the tax people know by completing a "déclaration H1".Should the improvements come to their attention, without the declaration, you would be liable to a fine and backdated taxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniefromwales Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Changes will come to light if/when you sell the house as the notaire will compare the description in the deeds when you bought it with the description of the house when you sell it. But I can't see why they would be very interested it's just new fittings and you haven't significant changed the room layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 [quote user="anniefromwales"]But I can't see why they would be very interested it's just new fittings and you haven't significant changed the room layout.[/quote]Any improvement in the comfort level of the house (added bathroom, WC, shower...)is considered to have an impact on the potential "rentability" of the property, which is the basis for local taxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniefromwales Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I guess - hope - that 'added' is the significant word? Surely if you have just replaced a scruffy cracked old shower/washbasin/loo with new ones, as I have, you don't have to declare that? There aren't any facilities that weren't there before. (Sorry to hi-jack the thread Clair, but you got me worried now!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 [quote user="anniefromwales"]I guess - hope - that 'added' is the significant word? Surely if you have just replaced a scruffy cracked old shower/washbasin/loo with new ones, as I have, you don't have to declare that? There aren't any facilities that weren't there before. (Sorry to hi-jack the thread Clair, but you got me worried now!)[/quote]Annie, as you have described, this is simply a replacement (like for like), so no need to complete the dreaded H1 form [:)]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotmontel Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 We have knocked two rooms through to make a large kitchen, meaning we now have one less bedroom.....does this mean that our tax will go down?[:D]No?............didn't think so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babcock Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I had a friend who did this 2 rooms into 1 and she got a reduction in tax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giantpanda Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Hi!Each single tap, each shower, each both, each wc counts.The working out of the Taxe d'Habitation is rather complex.For example, if you have a chemical toilet it does not count.When you have bought a house, and you have done diverse renovations involving an permit, you can then a surprise on the stiff increase of taxes, if the former owners have modified things, without declaring.Yours,giantpandaPS. The Tax Office will also possibly claim money from the former owner ( 3 years is possible, I think ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearly Retired (I am now) Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 anniefromwales said: "Changes will come to light if/when you sell the house as the notaire will compare the description in the deeds when you bought it with the description of the house when you sell it."They won't find out a lot from past records that I know about. The so-called deeds give cadastral numbers and a scaled plan. The typical estate agent details ( half a page on multi-photocopied A4 paper with 3/4 taken up by a nearly black featureless photo) tell you even less.When it comes time to sell I suppose thought should be given to showing / not showing devis and receipts in an effort to lower the taxes then though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniefromwales Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 My 16 page document called 'copie authentique de vente' which the notaire read out word by word on two separate occasions, when we signed the compromis de vente and again when we completed (and it took AGES), contains a paragraph called 'Designation' which is a detailed description of the house - what rooms there are downstairs, upstairs, etc, and yes it does mention WCs. The previous owner had made alterations and the notaire clarified exactly what the house now consisted of, and this new 'designation' is written into the deeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Does replacing a bidet with a WC count, after all they're sort of similar in function [blink][:P]A friend nearby who is trying to sell is in for a massive shock as his house was basically 1 bed + kitchen + lounge but now has second floor in the roof space with 2 more bedrooms and a bathroom and I know for a fact that nothing has been declared to anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassis Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Adding two bedrooms and three bathrooms added 30% to our "base" (50% of the notional rentable value, used as the basis of the tax calculation, as Clair said). No idea if that increase was solely due to our works or whether there were other "bits" undeclared by the previous owners. You do get a 2 year period of "grace" after improvements are done before the tax goes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Because ours is a new apartment, we had to fill out our form for taxes. Our neighbour came in for an apero and read it through with us, insisting we mustn't put down the extra basin (in the room with the WC) or the WC in the bathroom. She was very concerned that we would be paying higher taxes than necessary.On reading the forms further she realised that she hadn't put the correct square metres for her apartment or her garage. She then wailed on that we would have to buy her oranges!! She was apparently saying she would be locked up when her error was discovered, and we would have to visit her in prison, taking oranges. Is this like taking grapes when hospital visiting? Or was she just play-acting, as she sometimes does?Iit is customary, where did taking oranges come from - getting scurvy from a lack of vitamin c like on long sea voyages? Fascinating thought!Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniefromwales Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 "Does replacing a bidet with a WC count, after all they're sort of similar in function"ErnieY - Did you see Crocodile Dundee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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