Cheque D'emploi

[Dave]

Hi,has anyone here ever de-registered (is there such a thing) with the Chambre De Metiers and then started working and being paid by Cheque D'Emploi, or does anyone know if it is possible? and also can anyone explain how Cheque D'Emploi actually work (for the Employer & the Employee)

I came to France not to earn my fortune and I wanted to be legally employed here, I duly completed a Stage at my local Chambre De Metiers and started work, as I say I did not want to earn a fortune, but the cost of the social charges has far outstripped my earnings, I only earned €14000.00 last year and I have paid €6000.00 in cotisations* (can't spell either) I am not complaining about paying my way but as you will see from the sums this does not make any sense to carry on. I would like some advice if possible?

thanks

Dave

[BJSLIV]

Welcome to the French System.

I fear that there is no easy way out.

I think the C D'emploi system is really designed for people looking to earn a few quid/ euros  rather than those seeking to make a serious living. It is ideal for someone who wants to do a bit of odd-jobbing, gardening, or cleaning.

One drawback is that your market is restricted to work in a domestic situation.You can't be employed by a business.

Another drawback is that not all households want to get involved in the C D'E system.

And you still have to pay a fair old whack of charges. Well more accurately your employer does.

If you were paid 8000 euros by your various employers via the system, the total cost to them would probably be about 13000- 14000 euros, because they have to pay the charges for you. Now they do get some benefit from tax relief, but I wouldn't count on people paying you more out of the rebate that they receive.

Others are probably better placed to comment, but the CdE system is very mechanical , whereas some people have reported a degree of  flexibility creeping into the in the payment of the charges for the normal system

[Val_2]

You cannot run much of a  business on this basis I am afraid. The scheme is designed more for a part time few hours per week scheme such as a bit of house cleaning or gardening and there are limits to earnings and hours worked too. You need to contact URSSAF who run the system and discuss it with them but to be honest no business will employ you if you are on this scheme because it plays havoc with their accounts and charges system as I found out when we had a chap want to work for us on his CdE system and we were told not to take him on, on any account except as a properly paid and contracted employee. I am sorry you didn't find being an artisan here easy, I've tried to put that across before that it is very hard and expensive and always get told I spread doom and gloom even though I experience it daily myself through the charges we have to pay out and never seem to have much for ourselves anymore.

[tj]

Hi

To be a little more positive, the numbers dont look so bad if your earning 140,000 and paying 60,000 ?

 

[Teamedup]

I don't think that you would be paying 60K on 140K though.

[Dave]

Thanks for all the replies, i guess i already knew the answer.....still we are not giving up, we have just filled in a form that hopefully will give us a reduction in our outgoings so fingers crossed, just have to work longer hours than i had wanted...c'est la vie. if this is to be the cost of peace & sanity in an incresingly mad world then...onwards and upwards, must go .....got to get back to watching those reruns of the 'Good Life' Thanks again all.

regards

Dave

PS. €140K...if only....

[Suzyq]

Dave, you don't say what you are doing.  For instance general gardening or a little household maintenance; but not building works; will come under the scheme.  It's the householder who applies and if they choose the right system for you they pay the social charges.  And yes, not everyone wants or even can apply.  But the advantage to the householder is that they can have an extra tax allowance to cover some or all of the cost, so it can work well for them to do it; I've been on both ends and it it a good system for domestic workers.

The cotisations are a heavy burden for everyone in France, I think the micro system can be less fair than the full TvA system. In the first couple of years they are estimated and if that estimate actually is more than what you should pay on what you earned you will eventually either pay a lot less, or nothing for a year to catch up or even get a refund.  You can ask them to reduce the estimates if you have a proper record of what you earned and are likely to earn , but they will extract interest if you estimate too low a figure.

Good luck

Suze