Registering myself in France

[Jenk]

I would appreciate some help as the information I have read seems to differ and I find it all confusing. 

We bought a house in SW France 3 years ago and have been doing it up whilst still being resident in the UK.  Next March I plan to move there permanently and finish things off in preparation for my husband's arrival at the end of Nov 2010.  My husband will be retired then and we plan to run a small 'chambres d'hotes', our main income being from his pension.

I am not of pensionable age, although I will receive a small governement pension and intend to live off my savings until my husband comes.   Half the house should be available as a gite next summer season, though I would imagine using it mostly for friends and family and not making much money from it.

Do I register myself for tax and other purposes as soon as I arrive in France and do I have to prove I have the means to survive, or do I just wait until my husband arrives and start from there at which point we would hope to be registering a small chambre d'hotes business also.

Thanks for any replies

 

 

 

[parsnips]

[quote user="Jenk"]

I would appreciate some help as the information I have read seems to differ and I find it all confusing. 

We bought a house in SW France 3 years ago and have been doing it up whilst still being resident in the UK.  Next March I plan to move there permanently and finish things off in preparation for my husband's arrival at the end of Nov 2010.  My husband will be retired then and we plan to run a small 'chambres d'hotes', our main income being from his pension.

I am not of pensionable age, although I will receive a small governement pension and intend to live off my savings until my husband comes.   Half the house should be available as a gite next summer season, though I would imagine using it mostly for friends and family and not making much money from it.

Do I register myself for tax and other purposes as soon as I arrive in France and do I have to prove I have the means to survive, or do I just wait until my husband arrives and start from there at which point we would hope to be registering a small chambre d'hotes business also.

Thanks for any replies

 

 

 

[/quote]

Hi,

     Arriving March 2010  , and husband Nov. you don't have to make a french tax declaration until spring 2011 (thats how you "register" in France) . You can make yourself known at your local mairie when you arrive, but that is not compulsary, just a matter of politeness and convenience , as your mairie is the source of many services and information.

     If your chambre d'hotes brings in much less than your other incomes( as seems likely) , you just declare the rents with your other income when the time comes to make your tax return.

     You can get advice on declaring for tax here when the time comes.

[cooperlola]

Your healthcare provision should be of primary concern to you. I know very little about healthcare provision for the employed, and I believe that you can use a chambre d'hote business to provide this by paying cotisations (as close an equivalent as the French get to National Insurance contributions) - but you'd need to ask somebody who's more au fait with this than I.

However, putting the business aside for a moment, if your o/h works in the UK and you are resident in France, you should apply to the UK Centre for Non-Residents, DWP in Newcastle for a for E109.  This will get you into the health system in France and you will be entitled to the same level of healthcare provision as a French national (about 70% of most costs) - the rest you can pay as you go, or take out an insurance policy ("top-up") to cover this.

Once you or your o/h reach UK state retirement age (ie are entitled to a UK STATE pension), then you can apply for an E121 to enter the French state system.  If your o/h comes over to live before either of you have reached UK state pensionable age, you shoule apply for an E106 when he leaves his job.  This will cover you both for up to 30 months or when you become eligible for an E121, whichever is the sooner.

With me so far?[:D]

For more, clearer, and more comprehensive info' on this subject, see our website below.  I suggest you read the "Newcomers" section thoroughly.  Whatever you do, don't come to live here without an E form if you can help it, as it will cover you whilst you sort out your business; and be sure to register it at your local CPAM as soon as you can after your arrival. You never know when you might get ill or have an accident (as I can attest!)

[Jenk]

Thank you very much for your replies and for putting me straight on the procedure.

Regarding healthcare, I was aware of the need for the E109 and E121 but  the website is very helpful.  When my husband enters the French State system  with the E121 (he will be 65) then I had understood I would be covered by that too.  Would I need to pay additional cotisations on a chambres d'hotes business? I will need to investigate and perhaps post in the appropriate place.

[Will]

You can only be covered by a partner's E form under ayant droit if you have no entitlement/obligation of your own to join the French health system. so if you start a business in France, then under normal circumstances you will lose your right to 'piggy back' on another's E121 cover.

Chambres d'hotes or gites are a bit of a special case, because if they are kept small-scale (the definition of being small scale being basically that the turnover is below a certain figure, or that it doesn't form the major part of your income) they don't require registration as a business. But some people do register, if the turnover is large enough, in order to get affiliation to the French health system.

Cotisations and taxes on a business are payable in addition to any personal cotisations and taxes. So being covered for health and social security in your own right does not exempt you from the standard payments for a business.

In your case a lot could depend on how (i.e. registered business or not) and when (timing in relation to your husband entering the system under E121) you set up your chambres d'hôtes. I think you probably need to talk to a qualified professional rather than rely on forum postings.

It would be difficult to remain 'under the radar' as many do, because chambres d'hôtes do have to be declared at the mairie - many communes operate a 'tourist tax' that has to be paid on all bookings.

[Jenk]

Many thanks for that information Will.  I would not contemplate starting a chambres d'hotes until my husband arrives.  It will only be a small affair (3 rooms), and given the rural and geographical location of the place, we would not anticipate much business except, hopefully, in the summer months.

I don't want to try and cheat the sytem, nor do I want to pay for more than I have to.  Yes, I imagine I should speak to a professional - any suggestions from here? otherwise, I suppose I will have some months to sort myself out in France, where would I get information/advice from?

Apologies for asking so many questions.  It is quite hard to be sitting in Hampshire trying to understand a system which is completely new to me.

[cooperlola]

My suggestion, for what it's worth, would be to maybe speak to a French accoutant.  I use Angela Francoise and her email address is [email protected] She speaks English and will happily work by phone, e-mail or post.

[Jenk]

Thank you for that suggestion - I think that I may well contact Mme Francoise then.

[Poppy]

 Many thanks also Coops for your referral. For a few days I hae been toying with whether to take on a part time job mainly as a 'hobby'. I am on an E121 with hubby as dependant. Jumped through lots of hoops with CPAM during last couple of years so would rather not take the work if it messes anything up.Will contact Angela Francoise [:D]

[Will]

A part time job should not mess up your, or your husband's, E121 cover at all as you are the E121 holder. If it was your husband who was taking the job then it could have implications on his cover.

If your job is salaried - no problem. If you are thinking about self-employment then the recently-introduced autoentrepreneur regime is primarily aimed at people exactly like you, who are in the system already and want to earn a bit more money without the bureaucracy and expense of running a fully-registered business.

[Poppy]

Many thanks Will.  I will be self-employed so autoentrepreneur might be the answer. I did look at the website but initially thought I would be in another health regime. Will look again at the site.

Thanks again

[Will]

That's one bit of the AE system that confuses a lot of people, but it works in a perfectly straightforward way in practice.

Judie (Mrs Will) has an AE business, CPAM is her primary health assurance provider, as she is salaried in her main job. She pays the additional cotisations due under the autoentrepreneur to URSSAF/RSI, but her carte vitale cover is still through CPAM. It should work exactly the same for you - as an E form holder your primary health cover will remain through CPAM.

[Poppy]

Thanks to you Will I think the problem is sol ed. AE definitely sounds like the answer.Nice to know it is straightforward in practice.