I have just downloaded your extremely informative income tax helpguide as I do every year to assist me.

I have heard about residents getting in trouble because they have not declared information about UK bank accounts. According to these residents, they have declared the income, but have been fined €1500 for each account not detailed, for each year not declared.

How will we stand if we now subsequently declare the information?

Connexion finance writer Hugh MacDonald replies:

This appears to be the work of an over-zealous tax office. From my own experience, several tax offices have not requested these details since 2007, having even requested that this form not be submitted as it can't always deal with things like internet bank accounts.

As for the penalties, please rest assured that, as it states on the notes to the form, the levels of fines are for failing to declare an account which generates the income, and not for failing to provide details of the income-producing account.

For those who have had questions asked by the local tax office, I suggest you meet with them, bringing the proof of the interest you have paid from the accounts you have in order to show the tax office that all of your interest has been declared correctly.

Notes to the income tax form state that you can simply include details of your accounts on an additional piece of paper sent with your tax declaration.

However if readers are concerned, you can download and complete the office form 3916 (Déclaration par un resident d’un compte ouvert hors de France) from the website www.impots.gouv.fr

Type the year and the form number into the "rechercher" box and choose the remplissable option in the drop-down menu should you wish to fill the form in on the computer, else chose the other form to print and complete by hand.

The first section is for your name, address, date and place of birth. Ignore ‘Qualité’ unless you are filling it in on the part of someone else.

Sections 2-3 are for UK business accounts and accounts involving powers of attorney. If you have these you should seek financial advice.

Section 4 is for declaring typical savings and current accounts. Fill in, in order:
-The account name:
-The name of the bank:
-Address of bank holding the account (for internet accounts where this is not applicable use the bank’s central address):
-Country:
-Bank account sort code and number:
-Type of account: compte ordinaire (current), épargne (savings), compte joint entre époux (joint account for married couple), compte collectif (one with many holders)
-Date account opened:
-Date closed (if relevant):
-Address that the UK bank has for you, if different from your address (already entered at the top of the form) in France:

Sign and date and send in along with your other tax forms.

If you have several accounts, you may find it easier and more practical to prepare a schedule (by hand or on computer) that you can attach to the form.

Last year, people declaring online were automatically asked to include the details of overseas bank accounts where they had declared overseas income, but unless there are any changes in the foreign accounts held in any one tax year then it has been practice not to submit the form each year.

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