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Prank, scam or genuine?


Phil & Pat

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Has anyone had a phone call claiming to be from the hotel des impots to discuss non-declaration of revenue?

A friend and neighbour is currently here on holiday in her maison secondaire, she lives and pays taxes in the UK.

She (and her husband) have had a maison secondaire here for 15 years or more and have been paying property taxes since arrival.  Two years ago they sold their original secondaire and bought another so paid CGT as well.  Naturally, neither of them has made a declaration of revenue in France.

Last week a female telephoned and claimed to be from the hotel des impots (she didn't specify which one) and  wanted to discuss payment of tax.  My friend explained that the taxe d'habitation and taxe fonciere had both been paid, at which the caller, switching to English, said "No madame, it is your income tax".  At this my friend explained that she was English and not resident in France, and the caller said goodbye.

Can anyone explain what might have prompted this call, assuming it was not a prank or a scam? 

I don't know if it is relevant but their telephone contract is in her name.

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I think it's quite feasible that the Impots go through the telephone directory, looking for non French sounding names and if those names don't appear on the Income tax register, call them up and ask why not.

I do know someone resident in France but had not made an income tax declaration in France, believing that as ex teachers, their income was taxed in the Uk and they did not have to declare their income/pensions and interest in UK accounts to les Impots.

Some years ago they had a call out of the blue from the taxman, they

explained that they paid tax in the UK and that their property was

owned by an SCI, they have heard nothing since

They are still not declaring their revenue even after being resident in France for nearly twenty years.

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Anything official from the french fisc would arrive in writing not purely a phone call. There are many scam calls about at the moment notably one purporting to be EDF with an urgent invoice query and when the name is mentioned it is deliberately garbled. In France if it is not on paper in writing it is not correct especially anything to do with payments to the Impôts.
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