Declaring foreign bank accounts

[EmilyA]

If I were you Judith, I would just send an email to the tax office saying that the details are the same as last year. We just keep a list on the computer and print it and enclose it every year.

[Simon-the-censored]

[quote user="Judith"][quote user="Simon-come-lately"]

[quote user="Aly"]Hi Judith

I checked with the accountant, we compiled a list with account nos and name of bank and added it to our form 2042
[/quote]

Absolutely right Judith - you can attach a list with the details if you prefer.

Look - it's all pretty straightforward - 2 little boxes on page 4 (bottom) of your tax return:

Contrats d’assurance-vie conclus à l’étranger joignez la liste des contrats . . . . . . . . . . . . 8TT COCHEZ

Comptes bancaires à l’étranger?joignez la déclaration n° 3916 ou la liste des comptes sur papier libre . . . . . . 8UU COCHEZ

Simon :-)

[/quote]

As I said already, the form was delivered BEFORE I read this email, so telling me to cochez at 8TT etc after the event is a little pointless.
[/quote]

Crikey Judith - remind me never to give you any help or advice in the future - how rude!!

I simply copied and pasted the relevant sections of page 4 of the 2042 return - for anyone's benefit.

Whether or not you'd already 'delivered' your forms doesn't concern me in the slightest - couldn't care less.

Hey, do what ever you like it's no big deal and pretty easy to understand. Sounds like you might need to start saving though.......

Bye bye

Simon :-)

 

 

[AnOther]

Oh dear, I think we just heard the dummy being spat [:D][:D][:D]

[CeeJay]

Kindle again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Judith]

Simon,

If you think that's rude, you ain' t been on this forum long enough!

Yes, I realise now that I  missed reading the form correctly - and I did know you were supposed to send them, I just forgot - and it would

be easier if the form wasn't (a) in blue and pale at that, and (b) in such small print.

I see now that there is indeed an email on the form, thank you EmilyA, that is the most sensible suggestion I've had so far .....and means I can contact them before the deadline .....

I begin to wish I hadn't asked the question .....

[Simon-the-censored]

CeeJay - I love my Kindle!

I bet you're a closet Kindle user .....

Simon :-)

[Simon-the-censored]

[quote user="Judith"]Simon,

If you think that's rude, you ain' t been on this forum long enough!

Yes, I realise now that I  missed reading the form correctly - and I did know you were supposed to send them, I just forgot - and it would

be easier if the for

m wasn't (a) in blue and pale at that, and (b) in such small print.

I see now that there is indeed an email on the form, thank you EmilyA, that is the most sensible suggestion I've had so far .....and means I can contact them before the deadline .....

I begin to wish I hadn't asked the question .....

[/quote]

Never mind Judith i'm sure you'll get the hang of it - eventually. Tip for you - R T F M !

Simon :-)

[CeeJay]

Ah ha, absolutely right, wife's taken it over now,bah!!!!

[Judith]

OK Simon, you win.

I don't do acronyms - what's R T F M.

[Rabbie]

[quote user="Judith"]OK Simon, you win.

I don't do acronyms - what's R T F M.
[/quote]Read The Flipping Manual.  [:D]

[AnOther]

Of course in less polite circles the 'F' stands for something entirely different [:$]

[Benjamin]

[quote user="Judith"]Simon,

If you think that's rude, you ain' t been on this forum long enough!

[/quote]

I do miss Miki and Ron in these sort of situations.

Always seemed to sort the men from the boys.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="AnOther"]Of course in less polite circles the 'F' stands for something entirely different [:$]

[/quote]Oh, yeah.  The penny's just dropped.[:D][;-)]

 

In all seriousness though, Judith, fines or not (and so many are never imposed if one just puts one's hands up to the error, let's face it) - I'm sure that if you just posted the list and said you forgot it that the deadline wouldn't matter much in this case - I've always found my tax office very understanding when I've made an innocent mistake (which is all this is.)

[Mikep]

I contacted my Tax Office and asked if they wanted the info repeating every year, as it seemed unnecessary. The answer was a very definite "Yes".

It's worth keeping a copy (or printing out the on-line form 3916) of all the accounts - one missed from year to year might really get them excited.

[Judith]

[quote user="Rabbie"][quote user="Judith"]OK Simon, you win.

I don't do acronyms - what's R T F M.

[/quote]Read The Flipping Manual.  [:D][/quote]

Thanks.  I tried, but that print was even smaller and lighter than the form itself..... and I tried a magnifying glass...... you can have my eyes any time and then you'd understand.

[Judith]

[quote user="cooperlola"] 

In all seriousness though, Judith, fines or not (and so many are never imposed if one just puts one's hands up to the error, let's face it) - I'm sure that if you just posted the list and said you forgot it that the deadline wouldn't matter much in this case - I've always found my tax office very understanding when I've made an innocent mistake (which is all this is.)

[/quote]

I did send an email this morning, with last year's list attached, explaining my forgetfulness.  As long as they can marry the two bits up I can see no real problem.   I hadn't realised until I looked that they had come into the 21st century, and the email was there on the form .... making it easy enough once I had time to "spare" to do it.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Judith"]Thanks.  I tried, but that print was even smaller and lighter than the form itself..... and I tried a magnifying glass...... you can have my eyes any time and then you'd understand.
[/quote]For future reference, Judith, if you have a decent screen on your pc, you might find it helps to download the online versions (here's an example) and have that on screen whilst you're filling in the paper version.  The instructions are also available to download.  IMHO they are far easier to read than the flimsy things you get in the post.  Or do future declarations on line (which you can do from the second time onwards.) 

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Judith"]I did send an email this morning, with last year's list attached, explaining my forgetfulness.  As long as they can marry the two bits up I can see no real problem.   I hadn't realised until I looked that they had come into the 21st century, and the email was there on the form .... making it easy enough once I had time to "spare" to do it.

[/quote]I'm sure in this case that should be fine but in theory, you must resend all the forms with any corrections and additions:

http://www.impots.gouv.fr/portal/dgi/public/popup?espId=0&typePage=cpr02&docOid=documentstandard_6259

[Judith]

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="Judith"]Thanks.  I tried, but that print was even smaller and lighter than the form itself..... and I tried a magnifying glass...... you can have my eyes any time and then you'd understand.

[/quote]For future reference, Judith, if you have a decent screen on your pc, you might find it helps to download the online versions (here's an example) and have that on screen whilst you're filling in the paper version.  The instructions are also available to download.  IMHO they are far easier to read than the flimsy things you get in the post.  Or do future declarations on line (which you can do from the second time onwards.) [/quote]

I did, and it doesn't - the colour is still not that helpful!

[Judith]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

[quote user="Judith"]I did send an email this morning, with last year's list attached, explaining my forgetfulness.  As long as they can marry the two bits up I can see no real problem.   I hadn't realised until I looked that they had come into the 21st century, and the email was there on the form .... making it easy enough once I had time to "spare" to do it.

[/quote]I'm sure in this case that should be fine but in theory, you must resend all the forms with any corrections and additions:

http://www.impots.gouv.fr/portal/dgi/public/popup?espId=0&typePage=cpr02&docOid=documentstandard_6259

[/quote]

Well it is typical that they make it about as difficult as they can do .....I shall see if I get a reply, before deciding on next action.

I am certainly thinking of declaring online next year - and would have tried this year if I had been in time, as I think you have to wait for some code to be sent to you...... unless

I see I have a no teledeclarant - would that be what I need?

If I did sent in another declaration online would the online one take precedence over the hard copy - indeed, would they let me do it twice?

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Judith"][I see I have a no teledeclarant - would that be what I need?

If I did sent in another declaration online would the online one take precedence over the hard copy - indeed, would they let me do it twice?

[/quote]Yes, that number is the only additional info you need to declare on line.

I see no reason why you shouldn't do so to make your corrections.  The dates should show that this is a later declaration but if you check the box on the first page which says you want to add extra notes, and then you can add the two key words

" DÉCLARATION RECTIFICATIVE" so that they know it supercedes your previous one.  Or you could e-mail them and ask what your best move is.  My tax office (uncommonly for France, in my experience) is very good at responding to e-mail.

[Judith]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

[quote user="Judith"][I see I have a no teledeclarant - would that be what I need?

If I did sent in another declaration online would the online one take precedence over the hard copy - indeed, would they let me do it twice?

[/quote]Yes, that number is the only additional info you need to declare on line.

I see no reason why you shouldn't do so to make your corrections.  The dates should show that this is a later declaration but if you check the box on the first page which says you want to add extra notes, and then you can add the two key words

" DÉCLARATION RECTIFICATIVE" so that they know it supercedes your previous one.  Or you could e-mail them and ask what your best move is.  My tax office (uncommonly for France, in my experience) is very good at responding to e-mail.

[/quote]

OK Coops, I admit defeat!  No reply to email from tax office by lunch time, so spent sometime doing the online declaration.  I did need a piece of info for signing in and that was in hubby's files, not the easist place to find anything!  And I am not accustomed to not being able to save and log out and come back later, so was very concerned when I had to stop for lunch before it was completed, but apart from having to sign back in after it was all still there.  And then, just as I was about to finish and submit,  I get a "will reply asap" from the tax office, .... but sent it anyhow.

I must admit, you have to really fill out the paper copy first to know what you are doing, and it is very much easier to attach a list of bank accounts than go through the hoops they have put in to declare those accounts on line ...... none of it was first intuitive, and I checked everything twice to find out how it all worked, but I can see why people are enamoured of the online way ..... and it seems you can send as many rectitatives (unless you have both changed status and moved house!), until the deadline.

By gosh, this French bureacracy is a steep learning curve!

Do you think it might be useful to have a FAQ on how to fill out the forms online ...... it is not quite as easy the first time as you have all on here implied.

Anyhow, that should put this bugbear (and probably this topic) to bed.

[cooperlola]

Funnily enough, Judith, I was thinking the same about the FAQs for the online thing.  But the problem is that it's actually quite difficult to figure out unless you're actually doing it (as you've discovered!).  I agree it's a bit counter-intuitive, especially  because whilst one expects to find the box numbers or something like them, what pops up is quite different (it corresponds to the script, yes, but isn't numbered.)  Thus I think it would be some task to do it well.

Glad you managed it in the end.  You'll sleep well tonight![:)]

[Judith]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

Funnily enough, Judith, I was thinking the same about the FAQs for the online thing.  But the problem is that it's actually quite difficult to figure out unless you're actually doing it (as you've discovered!).  I agree it's a bit counter-intuitive, especially  because whilst one expects to find the box numbers or something like them, what pops up is quite different (it corresponds to the script, yes, but isn't numbered.)  Thus I think it would be some task to do it well.

Glad you managed it in the end.  You'll sleep well tonight![:)]

[/quote]

Coops, yes I can see it won't be easy, but I thought perhaps, where you have to wait to put in the E121 statement right at the end, and what to tick to get it, (I checked the questions about this on the forum in the middle of it all which is how I knew about it, I was quite concerned until then), and also how to pick up those extra forms we almost all need to complete ......

As for sleeping, well that's one problem solved, there's a queue behind that one waiting to be solved .....  but thanks for the thought.

[JohnRoss]

"You need to declare accounts that have been opened, closed or used"      What about accounts that were opened before arrival in France, never used i.e. no money put in or taken out, and not closed? I should say that the accountant we used for the first couple of year said we did not have to declare it on 3916 as we took no money from it and in fact and sadly it has made a loss all the time we have had it!.................JR