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Fonciere shocker !


londoneye
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Just received this year's bill and it seems to have trebled from last year.

We have made a few alterations, eg put in a bathroom and made room upstairs in our very small, two down, one up(now) cottage.    Seems excessive to me, as we hardly have a palace on our hands, even now.        Has anyone else done something similar, and if so, what was the rough percentage increase please?

I will pay it of course (although strangely I can't seem to find a place on the form that tells you when you have to pay it, must be missing it), but can you contest it at all ?

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Sorry to hear your bill has trebled.  I only wish I could get a bill!!!!!  Been to the office and told "not on computer".  How do you go about "getting on computer" so that we can pay what is due?  Owned the property since November 2005.

If I ever get a bill, I will let you know if ours has trebled.

Fiona

 

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Not sure fiona - ours just turned up, so I assumed when we bought the place a notification that the property had changed hands went to the local tax office.   I did go to see the local Tresorie (excuse me if incorrectly spelt) when we didn't receive a bill for habitation tax, and she checked computer and said that we didn't have any to pay.    When I looked suprised and a little dismayed (rather than happy) she seemed very puzzled at my reaction and told me not to worry about it ........

Unless anyone has any more accurate information I would try them again (if you have already been there once), and if not, perhaps contact the Notaire who dealt with the sale.   However, I am sure someone will have more accurate information than I.

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I would  certainly not just pay up without at least asking a few questions first.  Our alterations are not finished and the rooms upstairs not yet habitable (I have checked this with my tax office, and they are happy with that definition) .  However, they have sent me a form to fill in for when it is finished, in which I must detail the extra space/windows/any extra bathrooms/loos etc.  Have you completed one of these?  If so, I guess there's a possibility that there was an error and they think you have added more space than you actually have!  I would definately ask them to check - and maybe even see if somebody will come and inspect your property to make sure that the details which they have of it are correct.  Ring or visit your tax office and discuss it.  Don't just pay up and try to sort if afterwards - that is likely to be much more complicated.
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Just a quick point...

The local taxes are managed by the centre des impots (tax office) so any queries about tax fonciere and tax d'habitaion should be addressed to them.  The Tresorerie is merely the collecting agency, so if the tax office haven't passed the 'debt' to them, then they won't have any record of it.

 

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Sunday Driver - thank you, my mistake, that is where I went now I come to think of it.    Thanks for putting that right.

Cooperlola, I will give them a call, yes I did complete a form which they sent to me some months ago; perhaps I accidentally indicated that we had upgraded our small cottage to Versaille Palace dimensions ....

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I, like you, assumed the Notaire would deal with this at the time of sale.  Perhaps when we are next over we will visit her and try to get to the bottom of it.  As a matter of interest is the bill for the size of the property e.g. how many bedrooms etc or is it the land surrounding it???  I assume (rightly or wrongly) that it depends on what Department you are in as to the price also?? 

 

Fiona

 

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It seems to have trebled from last year.

I suppose things are relative. If its trebled from £80 to £240 then it could well be right. If its gone from £800 to £2400 then thats another story.

The thing to bear in mind is that by adding a bedroom, and a bathroom the rental value will increase by a seemingly disproportionate amount. You have you increased the floor area, but you have also moved the property up the scale of luxuriousness[:(]

Just count yourself lucky that you didn't put in two bathrooms[:(][:(]

PS One further thought; Is the increase entirely due to your own activities? Its not unknown for the taxes in a particular commune to increase by up to 100% if there has been any financial incompetence or Grand Projects by the local councils. There is any concept of rate-capping UK style.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just to update, because I did get a pm from someone but couldn't respond and then lost it, so whoever it was apologies, but this might help you.

Finally mustered up courage to call myself.   Got the world's most unhelpful woman, who would only bleat at me 'you filled the form in' - I started to think I was talking to a parrot at one point.   Anyway, gripe out of the way.   Essentially the increase is only for our cottage - which makes the increase even greater as it happens.  

I finally managed to get out of her that the last time our cottage was 'declared' was 37 years ago, at which point it was essentially derelict, eg no electricity, no water, etc.   So, it is not so much the fact (although of course it is a contributory factor) that we have added the bathroom, the increase also accounts for the fact that we now have electricity, water supply etc etc to the property.   The fact that these have been there for some years cuts no ice (understandably).

So, I suppose beware buyers.      If you ask what the fonciere and habitation taxes are when buying (which we did of course), then you may want (if its possible) to try to find out when your property was last declared, because if it was donkeys years ago, be prepared for an enormous increase when you have done any work and have to declare it.

Hope this helps someone.

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