I went to the tax office today...

[Dog]

I went to the tax office today in Perigueux thay had sent an irate letter that I hadn't paid the tax fonciere on my second house. They had sent the bill to England.

I got a ticket and then entered the cashiers and asked if I could pay. They said no it was issued in St Astier, I told them that on every previous occasion they wouldn't accept payment and sent me to Perigueux.

The man went off and they obviously didn't like my accent as he reappeared with a man that spoke English.

He tried to find the house on the computer but couldn't.

He said you have a house with a swimming pool, I said yes but this bill is for my second house next door - It doesn't exist he said. OK I said please lose the other one and the swimming pool, he politely said this wasn't possible.

He took me upstairs and abandoned me outside another department, they too scratched their heads and computers and said no this house doesn't exist.

I told them it did and that usually every year I get to the third floor and speak to a man that get's out paper files and we get things settled.

They took me to the third floor, it seems to be for the elite civil servant with lovely views, peaceful quiet and comfortable. The previous occupant retired two years ago and he was very pleasant offering coffee, somehow though I don't think public servants should be able to retire at 50.

The new man got the paper files out and said I could pay downstairs, he updated the address for billing. I asked if it would be cheaper to have one big house rather than two - yes he said - so I asked if I needed to join the houses, his reply was negative - he gave me the form and helped me fill it in.

I would recommend anyone to let the civil servants fill in the great big confusing forms they dream up, eventually they may make them simpler.

I now have one big house instead of two, on paper, plus he let me change the central heating from electric, which they increased the tax for, to wood.

I went back down to floor one, got another ticket and visited the cashiers and paid.

Hopefully next year the taxes will be lower or they will have managed to lose my property completely.

[Gardian]

Lovely ..............not. An everyday story of Impots folk.

[quote user="Dog"]

Hopefully next year the taxes will be lower or they will have managed to lose my property completely.

[/quote]

I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you.

[HoneySuckleDreams]

Don't count on any taxes being lower...next year there may be one or two more to pay, your two properties may turn out to be three by the time it's gone through the system.

I like the bit about the functionary on the 3rd floor.

I had the honor of working for a company in Paris and one day I had a problem that I needed the project manager to sort out ( I was on the 1st floor, which makes a change from the dungeons where we geeks normally reside)

"Where is he" i asked...

"on the 5th floor" was the reply, "but you can't go up there"

"Of cause I can, I can take the lift and there are stairs if the lift isn't working"

"No no .. you don't understand...you CANNOT go up there, it's interdit"

"Rubbish" so of I went up to the 5th floor... it was like something out of a gentlemans club (or how I would envisage one)...nice comfy chairs, low lighting, men of power lounging around. "What are you doing here" was what I was greeted with. So i explained the serious problem that needed sorting out.  "But we have a meeting to discuss issues on monday mornings...wait for then...go away i'm busy". So I had to descend to the peasants floor and wait for a week until he deigned to step down to our world to discuss the matter.

Aparently, the more important you are the higher your office is...égalité...bof!