Change in habitation/foncier tax?

[martin&sue]

Hi All.

Can anybody tell us if there has been a change in the habitation tax laws in France. We were under the impression that you had to live there for a certain amount of time during the year before being charged this tax. However, we have now been informed that, if a house contains ANY furniture (even if you don't live there), the owner is liable for habitation tax, unless the house is derelict (has no furniture). We have also been told that even if the electricity or water has been put on for one day and the Marie finds out, you are charged the habitation tax.

Can anyone explain what the rule are on this. It seems the laws may be changed.

Many thanks

Sue and Martin

[Teamedup]

Taxe fonciere is the owners tax and is paid by the person who owns the property on the 1st of January for that year. I don't know how this works for a derelict building, but a normal property would be liable for this tax.

 

RE the taxe d'habitation, I don't think that the law has changed. My understand was that unless a place was derelict you would be liable for this tax. I also believe that if you are not a permanent resident, then you will pay more.

[Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas]

Absolutely, furnishings or mains services mean habitation tax in principle.

[Will]

Certainly during at least the past 5 years taxe d'habitation has always been payable on a house that is capable of being lived in, wherther it is actually inhabited or not. I don't know of any simple rules for defining habitable, I'm sure that you can't escape paying just because there isn't any funiture or no mains electricity for example. Probably if there was no roof you could argue that you aren't liable. There is an urban myth that you pay less tax on a holiday home, but that's not the case at all.

The only upcoming change that I know of is that the TV licence is going to be collected through the taxe d'habitation.

Although taxes vary widely through France, in most rural areas where British people buy the actual amount payable is pretty small by English standards.

[Val_2]

Any property that can be lived in and has utilities is subject to Taxe d'Habitation whether the owner lives there full time or not. Taxe Foncières is the community tax and everyone pays this and it goes towards keeping the commune going in terms of drainage,school,road surfacing etc. Your rubbish collection too may be included in your Taxe d'Habitation depending on where live and holiday homes do pay more and not subject to any discounts at all, unless there is no way it is at all habitable and you need to get dispensation from the local mairie. TV licences soon will be coming under the Habitation and here holiday home owners are also being sought by the Rédévance Audiovisuelle as regards to declaring any sets in their properties.

[Owens88]

Hi

I had not heard that 'holiday homes' have a higher tax d'habitacion. Does that mean 'maison secondaires' or places that are up for rent ?

Thanks

John

[Val_2]

Residents pay less because they get allowances for dependents etc,holiday homes are only occasionally lived in. My habitation tax was more than halved when a bungalow was built on our limits but if we weren't living here all the time, we would still be paying the original tax. Rental properties that have full time tenants do not come under holiday homes.

[Owens88]

Many thanks.

I can understand why 'maison secondaires' would get charged more - largely unoccupied and contributing 'not a lot' to the community etc.. As I recall it the Welsh had a more fiery way of putting it.

However tourist accomodation is seen as 'a good thing' and contributes a net inflow to the community, there are even Govt. grants to promote some type of tourist accomodation are there not ? I just wonder if anybody can point to sources of advice (or advisors).

Cheers

John

[Teamedup]

Owens go to the office that deals with these payments and ask them how much you would pay under various circumstances. ie simply residential based on who ever would be living there or tourist accommodation etc, or second home. Take your bills with you if you do this.

Businesses after all, often have extra taxes associated with them and tourism is business.

 

Or maybe an accountant would be able to help.

[Owens88]

Thanks teamedup.

Actually I have been to the hotel d'impot and on their instruction I e-mailed the regional centre at Perpignan. I was probably more timid than you suggest. I merely told the truth and asked a couple of simple questions at a time.

I have monitored threads in here and there is indeed a suggestion that 'taxe professionale' may balance out similar to tax d'hab, but with different bells and whistles.

I have also asked in here for pointers to any recommended accountant !

Cheers

John

[Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas]

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F21.html?n=Imp%F4t%2C%20taxe%20et%20douane&l=N13&n=Imp%F4ts%20locaux&l=N206&n=Taxe%20d%26%23x27%3Bhabitation&l=N235

As the link says it is in principle a tax on furnished properties; if the property is completely unfurnished on 1 Jan there is no tax for the year. If furniture comes and goes in the year then it is treated as furnished thereafter; the same applies to mains services.