Reclaiming UK tax

[HoneySuckleDreams]

I'm living in France and registered myself as an independant worker. I spend some time working over the interweb for companies in the UK, I also have worked in Holland and the UK in the last financial year.

I think this year I am liable to pay UK tax on my earnings for there as I've spent ~100 days working over in the UK. So I will have to fill in the appropriate tax forms and declare earnings. However, I won't know how much tax I will pay in time for my France tax form to be completed, so how do you declare this on your French forms?

Also, I have heard (and i don't know if this hearsay or not) that I won't get any Tax credit back from the French tax authorities as I haven't earned enough to pay tax here in France (only if I owe tax to the French will I get my tax paid in the UK offset against my French Tax bill).

I consider myself domiciled and resident in France and have no problems paying tax/cotisation in France. However, if I have to pay 22% to the UK on earnings that I won't get anything back from as well as paying cotisation in France, it almost seems to be no point in trying to work.

[Hereford]

Don't understand why you think you would pay 22% tax in Uk on all your earnings there.  You would normally get a personal allowance.  Are you registered with Inland revenue (HMRC now)and paying self employed NI contributions in the UK. Or was it an employment?

In any case if you are living in France as you suggest all your income goes onto the French tax form (in different boxes), even that in UK and Holland, in order to get the correct Bareme for tax rate. You can then show any tax paid in the UK.

Don't forget that tax years for UK and France are different!  was all your 100 days after 5th April 2008 and pre 31st December?

[HoneySuckleDreams]

actually it's 20% tax, and yes I do know about the personal allowance, and yes the 100 days were in the French tax year. The problem lies with the fact that I was only supposed to be in the UK for 3wks for the contract I was working on. This turned into a lot longer. I don't know if in future I should think about creating a business in the UK as well as having myself set up in France. I consider myself tax domiciled as well as resident in France, it is afterall where my family and house are. I'm only in the MICRO BNC regime in france so can't earn more than 27K (last year anyway), but i have to pay tax in the uk as well as the cotisations in France, there's not a lot left.

Does any have a good accountant? one who knows the UK and French tax system?