FD5

[Grecian]

I am up-to-neck in various pieces of paper trying to complete our first tax return, and apologise if this question has been asked before. Having printed off the FD5 form, can somebody please advise if this form is for just one tax year at a time. i.e. April 2008 to April 2009. If this is the case then presumably as we took up French residency 17th September 2008, on the FD5 form we our completing I should be claiming any UK tax paid from the 17th September 2008 to 5th April 2009.

Any feedback gratefully received.

 

[Weegie]

It's a "one off" form and, when eventually processed, your tax liability as far as UK is concerned will take into account the date you indicate as being the date of taking up residence in France.  That's the date you put on the last page above your signature and under your National Insurance No.  - "and the exact date of leaving the United Kingdom".

Any tax refund due will be calculated from this.

[cooperlola]

If you have any interest from, say, a UK building society, you may have to claim the tax back every year, if it is paid to you net (although by a different form).  Otherwise, as said above, once done, that's the end of it (unless you return to the UK at some time, of course!)

[Araucaria]

It'll take a long time for the FD5 to get processed through the system - you have to first file your French tax return, then the French tax office will certify the FD5 (rubber stamp it) and send it to Paris. Paris will eventually send it to Nottingham, who after a decent delay may actually decide to act on it. From then on tax should not be deducted from some or most of your UK-source income. Don't hold your breath.

You should, indeed, claim repayment of the tax from September 2008 to April 2009 on the FD5, but you'll probably get it back much quicker by making a similar claim ("split year treatment") on your UK tax return for the year ended 5th April 2009. I don't think it hurts to claim it twice: they won't repay it twice.

[Grecian]

Thank you for your replies, a lot clearer now as to how the form should be filled in. I guess once it has been handed into the hotel of taxes, I will then have to 'do battle' with the UK tax authorities in attempting to reclaim our overpaid tax.

 

 

 

 

[mint]

Spot on Grecian.  We filled in our first tax return last year and it was only last month that the UK people admitted they'd received our French tax forms and we were told that all would be sorted "in due course".

Meanwhile, tax still taken out of my OH's annuities, tax owed has not been returned and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it all carries on like that this year after our second year of French tax residency.

[cooperlola]

I have dealt with this three times now: Once for me, once for my o/h and once for a friend.  My o/h's was the first and his took six weeks to be processed and a month after that all his tax had come back.  In my case the tax office (same one as my o/h's) refused to sign my FD5 until I had actually begun to pay tax, thus I had a delay this end and then it took the UK six months to process my application, and it was 3 more before they repaid all they owed me.  My friend's FD5 (same tax office) was submitted last spring with his tax return.  He got his acknowlegement from the UK tax authorities and his tax code was changed in December.  He is still waiting for his rebate.  The moral of this story?  It seems to be taking longer and longer these days in spite of the fact that we are told that fewer of us are emigrating to France these days.  Go figure, as our US friends would say.