understanding french tax situation?

[ray in auvergne<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpac]

Hi, We have lived in France for 9 months now with no income as we have lived off savings in UK. This is our only, so principle home are we French citizens because of this? We are not registered for tax as we have no earnings, we are below the retirement age so no pension either. Can we seek benefits here? In Uk i was exempt from medication fees as i have Diabetes and a disability caused by an accident. All advice greatly welcomed!

[derf]

You will be classed as French Residents, you have a home and lived here for longer than the qualifying period, also you should have filled in a tax return for this year and declared your worldwide income even if it's only savings interest!

Unfortunately, I don't think you will be able to claim for any benefits in France, there are a lot of hoops to jump through, before you would be entitled to any money.

[Iceni]

Ray, I am a bit bemused by your post. Have you now no income at all???? or are you living off interest from UK savings. If the latter, you would not qualify for benefits in the UK until the savings dropped to a very low level so you would certainly not qualify in France.

From what I have read and seen, in France if you run totally out of money they 'may' feed you but while you have a property and are not seeking work I am not even sure if they would do that. As you have a medical disability you should be getting 100% health cover for that (but only normal cover for everything else) but that is only for you.

Living in France is an expensive habit, the longer you stay here the more you will realise that and I hope that you manage to sort something out.