-
What is the new ‘shimming’ bank card scam in France and how to protect yourself?
Scam is incredibly difficult to detect, but victims are refunded
-
How you can access French airport lounges at discounted rates
Bank accounts and loyalty schemes can open doors while you are waiting for your flight
-
What should I do with my old mobile phone in France?
Phones should not be discarded in your domestic household bin
France: Stop your regular taxe d’habitation payment
Some 80% of main home households will have zero to pay on this year’s taxe d’habitation bill, which will be sent out in autumn based on having a French home available to live in on January 1, 2020.
This is means-based and those who benefit will have seen progressive reductions in the previous two years. You can check your eligibility by putting in your revenu fiscal de référence (net annual income) from your last income tax statement at impots.gouv.fr/portail/node/13130.
A table of means ceilings is also here: tinyurl.com/y5ufhxg2 – for example, €27,706 for a single person to benefit fully, or €44,124 for a couple.
Those with means just over the limits will pay a small amount of tax on a sliding scale.
The tax is set to be lowered for the remaining 20% of payers next year and then abolished for all main homes from 2022.
If you are not due to pay anything this year but are still paying regular direct debit monthly instalments, rather than wait for a refund, you can stop these now in your personal account at impots.gouv.fr at Gérer mes contrats de prélèvement.
Find your taxe d’habitation contract, click Modifier ou arrêter vos prélèvements, and then Moduler vos prélèvements mensuels. Indicate only the annual amount of the TV licence fee, €138, and no new regular instalment amount.
On the smartphone app impots.gouv, you click Paiements > choose the contract > Je modifie mon contrat > Modifier le montant des mensualités.
You can also do this by contacting your Centre de Prélèvement Service by email or telephone.