monthly/yearly bills

[hopeful]

Hi

Apologises if I have posted on the incorrect area of the site, however I wondered if someone out there would be able to provide a comprehensive list of all the monthly/yearly outgoings I'm likely to come across, if a resident in France.

Not the actual cost, but the types of bill that one would encounter. I am aware of most, but certainly do not know them all.

Any help appreciated!

[Gardian]

It'll vary of course, but here's my list:

• electricity (for others, it'll be fioul and / or gas)
• mutuelle (private health insurance)
• car insurance
• house & contents insurance
• impots (income tax)
• taxe d'habitation
• taxe fonciere
• ordures menageres (rubbish collection)
• water (no additional sewage charge for us, as fosse septique)
• doofer (telepeage badge)

[NormanH]

A good list.

I can add (but it's dependent on circumstances)

Annual: CSG tax (if you rent out a flat for example it's around 11% of your rent)

On the Mutuelle, this is to pay the 'top up' above the part reimbursed by the  French Social Security.

Some people may need real private health Insurance.

I would also point out that TVA (VAT in UK terms) is payable even on basic food items.

[mint]

contributions sociales?

[Pierre ZFP]

And don't forget

• Calender from the Pompiers

and possibly the largest bill of all:

• the account from your wine supplier [6]

 

[Mayennaise]

Don't forget the telephone bill

[Dog]

Fire wood.

[Bugsy]

Heating Oil

[Thebiga]

General cost of everything really! I know you didn't ask for costs but you may have a shock at French prices.

[mint]

In our household, insect repellants and creams and potions after the blighters have bitten or stung you amounts to quite a bill in its own right.[:(]

[hopeful]

Hi all

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far, at least if provides a list, if not actual costs, which I appreciate will vary greatly. 'Gardian' what is a doofer?

A few more questions if people can assist!

When I arrive next year I'll be 65 more wife 58, will we have to pay contributions sociales?

We are hoping to purchase a small 3-bedroomed property, possible in a village, or hamlet, but not in a town, any one like to speculate average sorts of costs for this type of property, particularly on the heating side, like firewood & oil.

[Bob T]

A doofer is a thing that lets you pre pay for motorways, it is not an essential cost. Top up insurance is also something that is desirable, but not something that you have to have.

The costs of heating vary by a huge amount depending on how much insulation a house has.

You will also save buy not having to pay road tax on a French registered car, and using cheaper fuel if you drive a diesel.

 

[Will]

You may save on annual road tax, but you pay an equivalent charge when you register a vehicle in France in your name. This can be as little as 100€ or so for an older, smallish, non-polluting car up to well over 1000€ for a large 4 x 4 or similar (the latter may be subject to an additional environmental tax). So if you keep the same vehicle for several years you would probably save money if it was not in the lowest UK road tax bands; if you need a large car and change it regularly it can be a very significant cost in France. There's really very little difference now between the cost of diesel in independent garages in France and England (supermarkets are still a little cheaper), while petrol is slightly more expensive in France.

[hopeful]

Thanks Bob T & Will

It's all very useful stuff.

Trying to find out averages (if that's possible) on Taxe Fonciere & Taxe d'habitation?

Thought you were required to have top-up insurance!

[Judith]

[quote user="hopeful"]Thanks Bob T & Will

Thought you were required to have top-up insurance!

[/quote]

Someone more knowing than I may come along, but, this is a fallacy often stated as "you will need top up insurance".  What they mean is, that if you want to have the same benefit as with the NHS, that is, you do not pay for prescriptions, hospitals etc, then you will need a top up insurance, as the state will pay a variety of amounts for you from 50% to (normally) 70%.

Many people (like us) do without, and pay the difference.  I am just going through a sequence of tests and examinations, and have been pleasantly suprised at the low cost of most items.  (eg consultation with hospital consultant - 7.80€) - the rest I cannot remember.  But it is something you may wish to do rather than have to do.

[Gardian]

[quote user="Judith"]But it is something you may wish to do rather than have to do.
[/quote]

Judith is quite right of course, but it is a bit of a risk.

OH was in hospital for a week in 2008, and the all-up cost was c.€1200. The Assurance Maladie would have covered less than half that.

Cooperlola's experience (a regular contributor on here) when she had a serious motor car accident a year or two back, is a salutory reminder to all of us. Although an extreme example, I believe I'm right in saying that the costs are in six figures.

[Gardian]

[quote user="hopeful"]
Trying to find out averages (if that's possible) on Taxe Fonciere & Taxe d'habitation?
[/quote]

There'll be exceptions of course, but I suspect that in the majority of cases, the total cost would be €1k - €2k p.a. Budget €1.5k.

[NormanH]

[quote user="hopeful"]Thanks Bob T & Will

It's all very useful stuff.

Trying to find out averages (if that's possible) on Taxe Fonciere & Taxe d'habitation?

Thought you were required to have top-up insurance!

[/quote]

That is the "Mutuelle" I mentioned above.

It's not obligatory, but I wouldn't be without it.

It covers the 35% not reimbursed by the State, but it also covers things like the daily charge of a Hospital stay, (18 euros) or the cost of a single room (45 euros a day)

These are not met even if you have one of the illnesses which carry 100% cover, known as ALDs (long term diseases such as cancer or diabetes)

It also covers the illnesses which don't come under the ALD category, and helps towards dental and Optical costs.

Some clinics and Doctors charge above the set rate.

They are allowed to do this, as long as they are in Sector 2, but these extra costs are not reimbursed by the Social security.

If you have a Mutuelle which pays 150% or 200% of the  set tariff they may well be

An example:

Consultation with a specialist who charges 66 Euros.

The set tariff is 44 Euros, so even if you have a so-called  '100%' cover you will only get back 44 Euros and have to find the rest yourself.

If you have Mutuelle at 150% you get 44 + 50% of 44 = 66 Euros.

At this level 22 Euros might not seem much, but when you have both a surgeon and an anaesthetist both charging over the set rate for a major operation you can see how this plus the daily charges mount up.

I was recently in Hospital for a month in a single room and didn't have to pay anything.

averages (if that's possible) on Taxe Fonciere & Taxe d'habitation?

This will vary enormously.

In town I pay for a flat 700 Euros for Foncier and about 500 habitation: total 1200

In the country friends pay  180 foncier, 130 habitation, 180 rubbish collection       total  490 for a small house

[hopeful]

Hi

So I guess if you live in a village or small hamlet, then you are going to be paying less than a town and is Taxe d'habitation calculated at 24 euros per sq metre.

Reading something on the French Entrée site, it suggested that if your total income 'as a married couple' was less than 14,666 euros, then you would not have to pay Taxe d'habitation and also would be entitled to 100 euros discount on your taxe fonciere. have you got to have lived there for a number of years or can new ex-pats, get this?

Can someone clarify how the top up system works, do you have to always pay upfront, then claim the whatever percentage back, so if it was a big operation costing thousands, would you be expected to pay for that upfront, then claim it back?

Sorry to appear a little thick!!!

[NormanH]

if it was a big operation costing thousands, would you be expected to

pay for that upfront, then claim it back?

No.

My Mutuelle pays the cost direct.

For some of the more optional things, such as the daily 18 euros they faxed the Hospital to confirm that there was no need to issue a bill, but for the operation this was automatic.

[NormanH]

"reading something on the French Entrée site, it suggested that if your

total income 'as a married couple' was less than 14,666 euros, then you

would not have to pay Taxe d'habitation"

I believe you have to be over 60 then:

The levels are given on this site:

A couple would be '2 parts'

I think that you normally have to have made a tax declaration in France, including your world wide income.

The amount shown on your 'Avis d'Imposition' as your 'revenu fiscal de réferance' has to come under these ceilings

http://www.impot.gouv.fr/portal/dgi/public;jsessionid=4LGWSSWD5D0WXQFIEMQCFFGAVARW4IV1?paf_dm=popup&paf_gm=content&pageId=part_taxe_habitation&espId=1&typePage=cpr02&paf_gear_id=500018&docOid=documentstandard_4723

[mint]

Not only that, if your income is sufficient to put you into the band for paying tax on income, then you also pay the tele visuelle tax even if you are a hundred years old!

I know my OH isn't quite 100 but he was 78 last year and we still had to pay for TV reception because we were income tax payers.

[Judith]

[quote user="hopeful"]Hi

Can someone clarify how the top up system works, do you have to always pay upfront, then claim the whatever percentage back, so if it was a big operation costing thousands, would you be expected to pay for that upfront, then claim it back?

[/quote]

When (for example) I get something from the pharmacy, or visit the hospital (for whatever), they  ask for a carte vitale, and "do you have a mutelle", when you say "no", you pay whatever is not covered by the carte vitale.  If you have a mutuelle (which you know from my previous post I don't), I assume that you would pay whatever the mututal doesn't  certainly I only pay what is needed on top of the the state contributions.

So far, with luck, we have managed without a mutelle.  Since we had to go private for most things when we were in London, we don't see a great deal of difference, and as I said, I have been surprised how cheap some things are..... NormanH may be in a more expensive part of the France, but I have been happy to stump up what I needed to, I suspect we would pay far more with a mutuelle.

[NormanH]

Obviously a lot depends on your personal circumstances and your temperament.

I have no reserve of money to count on so prefer to pay my 50 euros a month even if sometimes I get nothing for them.

I am also naturally cautious, so can't abide the idea of taking a gamble over Health costs.

As a matter of interest these are costs of my care over the last 5 months, everything included (non-ALD, dentist etc as well as ALD)

Apart from the 50 centimes I don't get back on each box of medicine and a few Euros 'forfait' when I see a Doctor all has been paid for between the Sécurité Sociale and my Mutuelle.

I am glad I didn't have to stump up 35%

février 2010	1 038,63 euros
janvier 2010	349,65 euros
décembre 2009	599,64 euros
novembre 2009	2 602,42 euros
octobre 2009	835,31 euros

[krusty]

ddd