New to Forum - Loads of Questions

[Richard]

Hi Everyone!

Well, we've decided to enter into our "3 - 5 year plan" in that we will definately be leaving the UK for France.  However, as with many people who make this same decision, there are LOADS of questions:

1. Do we move, lock stock and barrel?
2. Do we keep any ties to the UK?
3. What are the tax implications in France vs UK?
4. Is actual assimilation into French culture, and daily life, fairly straight forward?
5. What happens if my dearly-beloved remains employed by a UK employer whilst working from home in France?
6. What happens to our access to the NHS?  (My other half is insuline dependent diabetic)
7. Do we bring, or sell, our cars?
8. Our 3 dogs have pet passports.  Will we face any difficulties getting back into the UK?  (I read the 2-1/2 year old post on DEFRA, and became concerned)

Our plan is to run a small B&B (enough to keep me busy, but not too much to be insanely overworked....  too much of that in corporate life).  So, apologies if I have not posted this in the correct section.  I figured it was the best place to start...

Thanks in advance!

Richard

[Richard]

Oh, and one more piece of info...  We would like to settle in Brittany, Normandy, or Pays de la Loire.

Thanks again!

Richard

[cooperlola]

Bloomin' 'eck Richard!  Where to start?  There's so much here and everybody will have different opinions but here are mine - and they are just opinions, not necessarily fact.

Firstly - great choice of area - but I'm biased!

1. Entirely up to you. 

2.  If you have any doubts at all about your move, and can afford it, then hang on to your property in the UK, at least for the first five years or so.

3.  Depends upon your income, but you are likely to pay less tax but more health contributions.  Once you become a resident here, you pay your taxes here.  No choice.

4.  Depends on how hard you are prepared to work at it - you get back what you put in.

5.  Your dearly beloved will pay tax here, if she works here, regardless of whom she works for and where they are based.  If she returns to the UK to carry out the actual work however, she pays tax there.

6.  You lose it, except for emergencies back in the UK if you are on holiday. You must subscribe to the French system or get private insurance, according to whatever the rules are likely to be when you move.  This is currently the subject of a lot of changes and/or speculation.  Have a very good look at this thread :

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1011687/ShowPost.aspx

7. Sell them in the UK and buy over here, if you can. A right hand drive car is unsaleable here so if you don't, you'll be st*ffed if you ever want to get rid of it.

8.  No difficulties, provided their rabies jabs correctly done and kept up to date.  They need flea and tick treatment between 24 and 48 hours of any return journey to the UK too, though.

Tip : Start learning/brushing up your French now, or 4 will never happen!  Spend hours trawling through all the threads here, especially those about people who have given up and gone home.

My best advice : Rent long term first and make sure you really like it here.  Many do have a great life here, but many don't, likewise.

[Russethouse]

Welcome to the forum.

The first thing to do is to use the forum search facility (such as it is) for your topics, this should help you define more specific questions.

Bon Chance......

PS Goodness Coops - you are quick !

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Welcome to the forum.

The first thing to do is to use the forum search facility (such as it is) for your topics, this should help you define more specific questions.

Bon Chance......

PS Goodness Coops - you are quick !

[/quote]Just trying to keep my mind off the toothache![:-))]