By the book

[Scotjohn]

Hi folks

My partner and I recently bought a house in Brittany, have spent four months fitting new shower rooms and are now offering B&B or chambres d'hotes.

We spent a fair bit on a website and various slots on other websites and now have a nice forward booking situation.

We have four letting bedrooms and this is probably going to be our only income short term though I am sure I will have to do something else to augment the B&B income.

We have tried to do everything by the book, visited the Mairie, called an accountant, visited CPAM but still are unsure what we have to do officially as far as income, tax, accounts etc.

Do we go to the chambre of commerce, the ANPE or what? Do we do it now or at the end of the year? Do we need a licence? If I do end up doing something else, who do I visit? It is probably going to be to do with property caretaking, management etc.

Can anybody advise.

John

PS have enjoyed reading the advice given to other queries and hope you can help.

[Nick Trollope]

Welcome along.

Didn't your accountant advise you on what to do/do it for you? Sounds rather remiss of him if he didn't. (No gender implied...)Suggest you ask him to sort it - it is what I did & it cost next to nothing.

What is your URL - let's have a look at your site.. Go on, just a quick peek.

Nick
http://www.aplaceinfrance.com

[Miki]

LAST EDITED ON 07-Jul-04 AT 11:04 PM (BST)

John,

You really do need help, that is for sure.

I have to say I am rather dismayed that you have spent out so much money but now have no ideas what you should do about running the very thing you created to make a living from.
I think it might have been best if you had started by getting all the admin side sorted out first and then seen if it was a viable proposition.

There are many factors to take in to consideration with gites and B&B, not least the positioning, the length of season, who or where your market is, where you should be advertising etc etc. Brits alone will not sustain any B&B. Perhaps hopefully, you know all this and are in a good position and ready and confident to begin trading.

I really don't want to appear gloomy but I have seen this happen so often and you may well be in for some nasty little shocks along the road to legality.

Depending on where you are in Brittany, I can offer you the contact number of a woman who is fluent in French (being French herself) and English and she may well be able to guide you, on what is now best for you to do.

Good luck

Miki

[Suzyq]

LAST EDITED ON 08-Jul-04 AT 09:02 AM (BST)

Now you are set up you must attend to the beaurocracy and admin side before you get your fingers burnt. Have a look at the regs applying:

http://www3.ccip.fr/inforeg/fiches/pdf/table_hote.pdf.

http://www3.ccip.fr/inforeg/fiches/pdf/chambres_hote.pdf.

What you do for your fiscal regime has been the subject of huge discussion here; I think we are agreed that you need a licence for drinks!

You can put more than one business type on your chambre de commerce inscription so for example you might put
property services and your bed and breakfast and tables d'hotes all on the same inscription.

Don't forget you need proper insurance, not just normal householders insurance and fire extinquishers as well.
Suze