Checks .... what checks??

[Nickel]

Now we have all finished and sent off our tax returns, hoping the correct figures are in the correct boxes and maybe wondering will anyone want to come and check up and investigate. I was thinking although I do not know many "brits" living in France  - maybe 5 or 6 couples - I do know that 3 of them have never filled in a French tax return although residing here. ( high percentage or what!)

Is it just the people I associate with - or maybe it is something more widespread ?

 

[bigears]

hi

I know some, so its possibly widespread. 

[woolybananasbrother]

Very widespread. Many people are working all sorts of address fiddles to get away with it.

[Nickel]

The people I mentioned , who are in every other way fine up-standing, law-abiding citizens tell me - "Oh, didn't know we had to ! we have never received a tax form"   which is why I was wondering what if any checks are made?

[woolybananasbrother]

Frankly the fisc could check up if they could be bothered and undoubtedly will do one day. Soon, because to have the  new residence permit will require proof of taxes paid.

Frankly the excuse that they have never received a tax form is disingenuous to say the least.

 

[Boiling a frog]

Some of them may be in for a nasty shock.

Up until this year there was no cross check between the different departments but now the computer systems of the Impots and CPAM  will be available for cross checks.

Until now if you had an E121 or E106 there was no check done by CPAM on your income because the UK was paying.

If you were paying in via CMU then generally CPAM wanted a copy of your tax form.

However now fraud prevention measures have been put in place and it will be simple for the impots to check with CPAM to see who is registered and then check their own data base for cross matches or lack of them.

[mint]

Seriously, how would they check?

The ones who have no intention of doing it will clearly not want to know and the ones who want to do it are doing it already.

What I don't understand is why they won't do it.  I know many who are, like us, pensioners on modest(ish) income and they'd actually probably pay less tax under the French system.

Mind you, they are probably the very same people who drive all the way back to the UK to have their cars MOT'ed, taxed and insured.  Isn't there a wonderful North country saying, there's nowt so queer as folk?

[Pierre ZFP]

Not just the Brits though. I work with plenty of French nationals (French citizens resident in France) who work and are paid here in Luxembourg.  When I delicately raised the issue of a French Tax return with one of the ladies I work with she was outraged! She said 'I do not fill in a French Tax return, it is no business of theirs!' I sort of dropped the subject and have never asked again.

[Nell]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

Mind you, they are probably the very same people who drive all the way back to the UK to have their cars MOT'ed, taxed and insured.  Isn't there a wonderful North country saying, there's nowt so queer as folk?

[/quote]

Now that Mr Darling Brown slapped a big increase on 4x4's and bigger cars, just watch the race to get cars re-registered in France. Still I suppose this can only be a good thing. There should be less UK registered cars driving around with void insurance.

[KathyF]

[quote user="Nickel"]The people I mentioned , who are in every other way fine up-standing, law-abiding citizens tell me - "Oh, didn't know we had to ! we have never received a tax form"   which is why I was wondering what if any checks are made?[/quote]

Well, they won't have received a tax form, because they have to ask for it the first time - something completely foreign to people used to the UK tax system.

[woolybananasbrother]

Conveniently so, especially if they happen to use forums, though I suspect many are quite isolated too.

[The Ps]

To this day it is a mystery to me how mine turned up not long after being here.   Not that I am ungrateful.   I am a firm believer in contributing to the state in which you live and do I contribute!   I feel I get better value for money for it though, all things considered.   My only frustration came recently with my TVA payments but thankfully it was sorted and everyone was gracious in the process.   It would be a lot easier if there was one central bureau to deal with instead of a million depending on where you live.

[Nickel]

Here too,  just turned up - can't remember ever having asked for one. However, can't always remember what day it is, so..........

[AnOther]

I sometimes wonder if Sarkozy could not have raised or saved more money (and certainly created less ill feeling) by targetting the 'refuseniks' under discussion rather than persecuting the 'inactifs' as he recently did, although doubtless in many cases they are one and the same people.

Ignorance is bliss as they say.

 

[Clair]

The inactifs were easier to find!

[AnOther]

Just like the UK government then, go for the soft targets [:'(]

 

[mint]

[quote user="Nickel"]Here too,  just turned up - can't remember ever having asked for one. However, can't always remember what day it is, so..........[/quote]

What day, that's not too difficult.  It's when I ask myself what month it is that I start worrying!  Or even, God forbid, how old I am!

[powerdesal]

The day is no problem, the month is no problem but the date of the month, thats a different story, but why remember the actual date anyway?

[Jo]

So I can complain if the OH forgets our anniversary!!!![:D]

[cooperlola]

Got a letter yesterday from Mme Les Impots, who wants to see us to go through our (online) tax return for this year.  As I'm perfectly happy that it's legit and I haven't missed anything off it, I reckon her time would be better spent chasing up those who don't bother to pay at all.

Wonder if she'll ask me how I calculated the exchange rate?[Www]

[mint]

Have a care all the same, Coops.  If she's anything like Dragon Lady in our neck of the woods, she'd have a way of making you feel guilty if you was clean as the driven snow itself!

It's like when we used to return to the UK after a holiday abroad.  We'd walk through the "green" channel as though we had a million pounds' worth of whatever hidden on our bodies!  Chance would be a fine thing.

[AnOther]

[quote user="sweet 17"]We'd walk through the "green" channel as though we had a million pounds' worth of whatever hidden on our bodies![/quote]It's called 'felons guilt' and try as you might the more innocent you try to look the more guilty you do, the secret is to avoid eye contact at all costs [:D]

 

[sueyh]

Let us know what happens Coops, just in case the rest of us get called in!!

Suey

[sueyh]

She may be like the woman from the Labour Exchange in the programme "BREAD" - what is the french equivalent of "NEXT"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suey

Sorry am I showing my age remembering that far back in the history of TV programmes?!?!

[Nickel]

You are in the system though Coops - like the majority of us, so it is easy for them (tax officials) to spend time, effort and money investigating tax returns - and that is fair enough. My original posting concerned those people who are not in the system for whatever reason and there doesn't appear to be any check. Of the few I know they all pay their tax d'habitation /foncière have cartes vitales etc; so they "exist"  but just never fill in tax returns.