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How French does a French-registered tradesman have to be?


Will
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Following all the posturing and pontificating about SIRET numbers in advertisements it seems that there are a lot of French-registered tradesmen here who are very particular about the law, or perhaps more precisely their interpretation of the law.

I wonder if any of them can explain to me why so many British tradesmen in France have Siret numbers, so cannot be categorised as 'black market', yet they seem to operate outside the law in other ways? For example, they insist on using British registered, untaxed, vans, and when they send an invoice it is written in English, does not detail the work carried out and materials used (which I understand to be necessary in France), and makes no reference to TVA (which is surely important for work qualifying for the lower 5.5% rate).

I'd be interested to hear from any of our tradespeople. I think the above comments apply to every British artisan we have used in France and several others which friends have employed (all of whom have had Siret numbers) though to be fair I don't think we have ever used any members of this forum.

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Maybe things are a bit different in the Charente, Will, as all the French registered Brit artisans and tradespeople I know around here, which isn't many admittedly, have French registered vehicles, BUT I can understand why some bring over their vans (or even go back to the UK to buy vans) as a secondhand workhorse is so bl**dy expensive here! We've got French bought vans ourselves but when my own van died I was very tempted to buy from the UK (as they seemed much cheaper) but was put off as I like blending in with the French. I do, however, know lots of retired Brits around here who bought 4x4s in the UK with their little stash before they moved over some years ago and still havent bothered to reregister them (probably because they are Japanese/Korean imports). Having said that though I really wish that we had hung on to our old VW bus as I really miss it!

When we registered we were shown how to write out the invoices, a procedure we have followed ever since, but I have to confess, that for my customers who live in the UK I write the facture in English (with French bits added) as I remember the French handwritten devis we got from artisans when we first moved over which were very difficult to translate. If the job is done for French or British customers living here they get a French written devi and facture. I don't know what others do as I've never had a devi or facture written by a British artisan (even the diggerdriver who did some work here and got paid by cheque never gave us a facture (it was only for a couple of days work). Maybe people you deal with are lazy about writing one out as you speak the same language as them.

PS Still haven't had my van signwritten though - is it obligatory?

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im regesterd becouse i have to be to be legal,i drive a british ford transit tipper to work its sign written in english and although i am putting  it on a french plate what as that got to do with wether i can lay bricks or not, the van i got for half the money i would pay over here,same with a mini digger half the money in england ,my cars english half the cash, never seen a sign saying i couldnt bring my brain with me to france brian
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im regesterd becouse i have to be to be legal,i drive a british ford transit tipper to work its sign written in english and although i am putting  it on a french plate what as that got to do with wether i can lay bricks or not, the van i got for half the money i would pay over here,same with a mini digger half the money in england ,my cars english half the cash, never seen a sign saying i couldnt bring my brain with me to france brian
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Hello, Le Jardinier Anglais drives a U.K bought French reg van with all pub written in french.

All devis and facture are highly detailed in the appropriate language and I have not once been asked for my SIRET as yet.

Information gives the client confidence as does a proffessional image.

Scenario...

You are greeted with a U.K reg van without pub or just magnetic signs and only a mobile number, ith a fat smoking driver with a builders arse and scruffy T'shirt. Is a confidence giving image to portray...?

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