New laws and changes in France: December 2020

1. Help to buy

A scheme to help people on lower incomes buy newer, more environmentally-friendly cars has been extended. The scheme, which was due to end on January 1 and offers up to €7,000 for anyone buying a hybrid or electric vehicle, will now run until June 30.

The prime paid for scrapping an older vehicle for a new one will remain unchanged, though diesel hybrid cars will be excluded from January 1. 2:

2. Taxe d’habitation

For most households in France, taxe d’habitation is a thing of the past.

For some who still have to pay it, such as many second home owners, the deadline for physical payments to be paid is December 15.

Online payments must be made by midnight on December 20 – accounts will be debited on December 28. Payment by mobile phone has the same December 20 deadline, as long as the QR code on notices has been flashed and registered by December 1. Notices arrived in mid-November.

3. Bank fees fixed

Vulnerable clients have had bank fees capped at €25 for three months, or €20 if they use a “vulnerable client” offer from their bank.

Customers will be considered vulnerable in certain circumstances, listed on the government’s service public site.

4. Trêve hivernale

Winter laws ensuring renters’ rights during cold weather began – as always – on November 1. Tenants cannot be evicted until March 31, 2021, except:

• If the home is subject to an arrêté de péril, meaning it is dangerous to live in;
• If the eviction is the result of a rehoming organised to better correspond to a renting family’s needs;
• If the home is occupied by squatters. During this period, gas and electricity suppliers cannot cut services.

Dates for your diary

December 19 Schools, collèges and lycées close for the Christmas holidays. Reopen: Monday, January 4, 2021.

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