Best time of year to enter French tax system

[tuppence]

Hi,

Some friends of mine locally want to get into the French Tax System soon as they are both now senior citizens with no need to pay UK tax. Is there a good month/time of year to do this both to exit the UK system and to enter the French system.

tuppence

[Benjamin]

The French tax year runs January to December and the UK one from April to March. We got a full year's allowance in our first year when we moved here five years ago and I guess you get a full personal allowance when you leave the UK (can't remember in our case).

So it's calculator time to work it out.

I wont even ask where they're living now.[Www]

[tuppence]

Benjamin,

They both live in france and have done for some time. But now as they are pensioners they want to get everything sorted out asap.

tuppence

[Gardian]

So, just to be clear:

• they've been living here for some time
• they've been deluding themselves that they can choose where to pay tax
• they've thought (quite probably mistakenly) that they'd pay less tax under the UK regime
• they now think that having become 'senior citzens', that this is the time to switch regimes

Quite frankly, the best advice is to get themselves down to their local Impots asap, plead ignorance and hope for the best. If their income is modest, they'll probably be dealt with sympathetically. Best time of the year is largely irrelevent. What matters is demonstrable proof of the date of them taking up residence here in France - let's hope that it wasn't years ago!

They'll have a bill for previous tax years over here, payable more or less immediately, the size of which will entirely depend on their circumstances. They'll get a refund from HMRC on their UK tax paid since leaving, in about a year or so .............. once they've completed the necessary forms and sent them off.

 

[AnOther]

Do they have Carte Vitales?

If they do but are only now trying to enter the French tax system then if somebody puts 2 and 2 together they could find themselves in far more trouble than they can imagine.

If they don't have CV's then that is another jar or worms waiting overflow.

Gardians advice is spot on, either that or quit France of course.