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19/05/2008, 16:05 sweet 17 Joined on 05/08/2006 charente maritime Posts 2,354 Re: no tax in france Cerise, I think I'd rather be a fool than a dishonest "wise guy"    Report

19/05/2008, 16:13 ams Joined on 07/08/2007 Posts 319 Re: no tax in france Left the tax return into the hotel des impots this morning. Huge queue must be taking about 3 to 4 hours to see everyone. Whilst waiting in the queue for the reception (25 minutes) desk to hand in our package, we could hear many people talking in english, sounded like many there for the first time.   ams    Report

20/05/2008, 8:45 andyh4 Joined on 15/06/2005 Frankfurt and Ardèche Posts 881 Re: no tax in france  sweet 17 wrote: As they keep telling me, who is to know where and for how long they are in each country?   Their pensions are paid full into the UK accounts and they only cash such money as they need in France. They go back a few times a year, more often than not when there are problems with the rent being paid or when the cars need their yearly MOT. If you think it's not possible to "get away" with doing all this, I invite you to think again.  I assure you it's happening under the authorities' noses, no probs.   Sweet 17 you might like to disabuse them of their niaive ideas about the ability of the authorities to trace them. So lets start with what you report: 1.  Every time they make a cash withdrawl it is recorded, what, where, how much. 2.  Everytime they take a ferry, plane or the tunnel to from France to the UK, it is recorded, ticket holders names and addresses, and sometimes bank, credit card details.  When they drive the number plate of the vehicle is also photographically recorded. Now add that every time they use the phone, it is recoded from where to where.  Electricty, water, gas, oil consumption are used to prove residence.   Oh and if you ever drive on the German autobahn, your journey is tracked and recorded in detail by the system used to charge HGV tolls - cameras cannot distinguish between a car number plate and a truck number plate, so it all goes on record. OK I accept that many folk do get away with this crime (and it is a crime and we the tax payers are the ultimate victims) , but as soon as their heads appear above the parapets, the authorities have absolutely no problem in establishing exactly where they were (or where they think they were).   So all of the tools are there and are used from time to time.  The fact that they are not used more regularly is probably down to a lack of will and international cooperation.  So for example the UK tax authorities are probably best placed to identify that they are involved in fraud, but have little incentive to do anything about it since it is France that is being defauded (mostly). Andy    Report

20/05/2008, 9:05 Ron Avery Joined on 29/11/2004 Aveyron 12 Posts 3,204 Re: no tax in france Agrree 100% Andy, but there just does not seem to be the will on the part of the French tax people to do anything about it.  As others have said, we all know people who have been doing it for years without detection, in some cases making no secret of it.  I firmly believe that they while they may not necessarily get caught, no good ever comes of it and what goes around comes around. I did hear this morning that local authorities are being urged to do a massive crackdown on benefit fraud in the UK following an Audit Commission report, and after the exposure of  that Welsh football referee on IB for five years , who can blame them, however, it appears that housing benefit is the big "earner" I don't think you can claim that in France..............  can you???? Why not post a sensible answer, people will appreciate it more    Report

20/05/2008, 10:52 sweet 17 Joined on 05/08/2006 charente maritime Posts 2,354 Re: no tax in france Andy, that was a most interesting post.  Not that these people will pay any attention if I did report your post to them verbatim. As for IB, let's just not go there because I shall really get hot under the collar with this one.  I know a chap and his wife who live here full time, does various odd jobs for the Brit expat contingent (all cash in hand of course) and no questions asked about ability or otherwise to do any sort of work. If they are in France, I suppose it's too much of a hassle to track them down for an assessment.  Before anyone with a real heath problem and are receiving IB legitimately and rightly start sending me hate mail, please don't get cross with me because I am not talking about you.    Report

20/05/2008, 11:07 Boiling a frog Joined on 06/09/2004 Charente 16 Posts 598 Re: no tax in france  Ron Avery wrote: Agrree 100% Andy, but there just does not seem to be the will on the part of the French tax people to do anything about it.  As others have said, we all know people who have been doing it for years without detection, in some cases making no secret of it.  I firmly believe that they while they may not necessarily get caught, no good ever comes of it and what goes around comes around. I did hear this morning that local authorities are being urged to do a massive crackdown on benefit fraud in the UK following an Audit Commission report, and after the exposure of  that Welsh football referee on IB for five years , who can blame them, however, it appears that housing benefit is the big "earner" I don't think you can claim that in France..............  can you????     http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7409024.stm         Boiling a frog    Report

20/05/2008, 14:15 ErnieY Joined on 05/12/2006 Nr Prayssac (Lot) Posts 3,481 Re: no tax in france You'd have only got flamed if you'd said that they were early retired teachers DWP WILL find them if they want to and even if they don't all they have to do is stop the benefit and wait for the howls of indignant anguish, but as you say, lets not get into that one now shall we............   My doctor said one drink per day, I can live with that !    Report

20/05/2008, 14:32 Patf Joined on 23/08/2004 SW Gers Posts 2,169 Re: no tax in france We came to France in April 2002 . We were sent Tax Fonc. bills quickly, but no Taxd'Hab. I called in at the local tax office and the Auch office too but no-one was interested. Asked about "income tax" too but weren't given forms. Eventually, I think it was mid 2004, we got the Tax d'Hab. bill, and some revenue forms to complete. There was no fine and they didn't backdate anything. We didn't deliberately avoid the taxman. Having said all that our tax was all payable in the UK so we only needed to make a declaration. My point is that you can be overlooked and there isn't necessarily a penalty .    Report

20/05/2008, 15:06 powerdesal Joined on 07/01/2006 Sharjah U.A.E Posts 2,173 Re: no tax in france  Patf wrote: We came to France in April 2002 . We were sent Tax Fonc. bills quickly, but no Taxd'Hab. I called in at the local tax office and the Auch office too but no-one was interested. Asked about "income tax" too but weren't given forms. Eventually, I think it was mid 2004, we got the Tax d'Hab. bill, and some revenue forms to complete. There was no fine and they didn't backdate anything. We didn't deliberately avoid the taxman. Having said all that our tax was all payable in the UK so we only needed to make a declaration. My point is that you can be overlooked and there isn't necessarily a penalty . Thats interesting, we have been trying for months to persuade the "powers that be" to send our Tax d'hab bill, and getting progressively more concerned about any penalty due to delay. First they claimed that we rented out our house - we dont (would it make a difference?). Then, following more telephone and written requests they eventually said OK we will send the bill......nothing. All I want to do is give them the money, how difficult should that be? Steve Sharjah (but not for long ) + 50 (in France) ........................................................................... 7 days Ins'Allah (1 with the packers, 2 for the week end, 4 for work)( or maybe 8, or 9, or 10 or 11 or....)    Report

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