Local tax burden up 8% on last year

THE COST of paying local taxes in France has shot up by 8% this year, compared with a 4.4% rise in 2008, new official figures have revealed.

The two residential taxes - taxe foncière and taxe d'habitation - and the taxe professionnelle on businesses and the self-employed go towards the various services that local bodies provide.

According to the Direction Générale des Collectivités Locales, they will collectively bring in €71bn this year, up 8.1% on the previous year.

News of the hike comes a few days before this year's deadline to pay the taxe d'habitation, which must be paid by November 16.

You are liable for the tax if, on January 1, you live in accommodation either as an owner, tenant or rent-free.

The Connexion has compiled a comprehensive four-page helpguide in English explaining how it is calculated, a number of available exemptions, and the ways you can pay.

The guide is available as an instant PDF download, priced €5.
A proposed reform of the taxe professionnelle is currently being debated in parliament and could come in next year.