French bureaucracy

[Dog]

Can we have a forum just on French bureacracy and red tape?

I have two houses next door to each other.

I live in the smaller as the larger one has been unoccupied for at least 80 years. It is being currently restored but is for all purposes empty.

Tax de Habitation charges me for a TV set at both houses so I paid on line and deducted the TV bit for the empty house.

I get sent a green bill saying I havent paid plus a 10% surcharge.

I go to the office in a nearby town that sent me the bill and explain the circumstances.

They tell me to get an attestation from my mayor - and take it to the major tax office - so of I go to the Marie in my nearby village.

They type out a letter saying I have no TV.

I take it to the big town tax office - very unhelpful lady says the attestation is incorrect and for the wrong house talking so fast that I cannot understand and will not repeat it slowly.

Tells me to go upstairs to the 3rd floor.

Good old boy listens and finds my property on the computer shuffles the paperwork for 20 minutes - reckons I paid for the wrong house and ammends the attestation by hand.

Finally after a 120 kilometer round trip I do not have to pay TV licence for TV I don't have.

One small step for mankind...

[Tag]

Seems about par for the course.

On the other hand this new system of collecting TV licence money is probably much more effective at catching the dodgers of which there were many, many in France. It will be interesting to see if revenues go up much. Just assume everyone has a set then make them prove they dont. Should reduce the number of fonctionnaires a bit. A lesson for the UK?

[chris pp]

Just assume everyone has a set then make them prove they dont.

I don't think it's quite like that, when I fill in my tax return there is a box to indicate whether or not we have a TV, we don't have a TV and I mark it accordingly and don't get charged for one, but the French bureaucracy, thats another bundle of fun altogether, most of it seems designed to make you give up.

Get another piece of paper, then another, then another, then another. I have to admit many times I give up, theres only so much time I can afford to not be working.

Chris

 

[Miki]

[quote user="Tag"]

........Should reduce the number of fonctionnaires a bit. .....

[/quote]

Nice to see someone else has discovered the new Absinthe......reduce the fonctionaires he, he, he, nice one Tag [:D]

[BJSLIV]

When the new method of collection came in M Sarkozy emphasised that it would be a more efficient way of collecting the money, as fewer civil servants would be needed.

He emphasised that a number of those previously employed collecting the TV money would therefore be transfered to other activities.

 

[Logan]

[quote user="BJSLIV"]

When the new method of collection came in M Sarkozy emphasised that it would be a more efficient way of collecting the money, as fewer civil servants would be needed.

He emphasised that a number of those previously employed collecting the TV money would therefore be transfered to other activities.

 

[/quote]

Moved not removed. French civil servants have jobs for life. Time serving pen pushers with social problems most of 'em.

[Miki]

I think that was what BJ was emphasising, fonctionaires don't get made

redundant, just re shuffled [:D]

I am not so sure about social problems

for all of them, I met one a few years ago who was OK.  She was

retiring the next day, so perhaps........................

[Tourangelle]

redundant no, but numbers will be reduced with plans not to replaced those who retire

[Tag]

Given that fonctionnaires retire so very young, that policy should have an effect pretty quickly then. Pity about taxes going up to pay their pensions.

[vervialle]

I  telephoned the english speaking france telecom today, which I must say is handy as I am not very confident on the telephone, I paid my bill with a debit card (I live in England) I explained that my telephone was not working at christmas and was not working now  they told me they could not deal with that or pass a message on to have the line tested as that was not what they were there for and I would have to get a neighbour to report it or go to a public phone box in France, alittle difficult whilst I am in England.So I gave up on that and went on to ask if they could correct my address as it was very incorrect wrong town no postcode, the opperator then said most indigantly, well it is correct on my screen madam so it cannot be wrong, I then said very politely, would you like me to fax the bill through for you to look at, he then said there is no point as he cannot do anything, so what do you suggest I do, well you will have to telephone your local France telecom and tell them because it is right on my screen.Alas I ended the phonecall wondering what this english speaking service could actuallydo.I am sure he could have sent a message for me to engineers to test the line and forwarded my correct address on.But I must say having had fifteen years of  it, I do not even get so annoyed as I would in the U>K it must be down to no expectation and then you are not dissappointed.

[Tag]

Time to learn to deal with them in French then. With expletives.