Changes to taxe fonciere from this year onwards
A flat rate increase of 7.1% has been applied to this year’s taxe foncière (property tax) bill but several changes have been made. In particular the conditions for exemptions and rebates for the elderly and disabled have been extended. The Finance Act for 2023 provides for a ceiling on the tax on main residences and […]
Online first class post
After first class stamps (timbres rouges) were discontinued at the beginning of this year, a new online service called “e-lettre rouge” (red e-letter) was introduced. This allows you to scan and send your mail online, tracked or untracked, in the same way as a standard letter, for next day delivery in France (excluding weekends and […]
Grants available for electric cars
The procedures relating to bonus-ecologique (or eco-bonus) changed on 10th October 2023. Eligibility for grants now requires a minimum environmental score. This is part of the energy transition and the national “Green Industry” strategy. Up until now, only the gas emissions caused by the vehicle on the road were taken into account to qualify for […]
Changes To Savings Accounts
New higher limit for the LEP savings account from 1st October 2023. From 1st October 2023 the maximum you can invest in a LEP (Livret d’Épargne Populaire / Popular Savings Account) has increased from 7,700 euros to 10,000 euros. This account is aimed at households with modest incomes and the current interest rate is 6%. […]
King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s State Visit To France
by Sasha Smit-Marcadier The FBN’s Board members were invited to attend the event organised by the British Embassy, which took place in Bordeaux on Friday 22nd of September, in honour of the state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The event, part of the British Government’s ‘GREAT’ campaign, was a Franco- British festival […]
Vehicle safety checks are changing.
Anyone who owns a car in France will be familiar with the biennial vehicle safety checks, called the ‘contrôle technique’ (CT). Two new checks are being added to France’s mandatory vehicle roadworthiness tests, bringing the total to 136 – but not all cars will be affected. A ‘contrôle technique’ is the main roadworthiness test for […]
UK Voting Rights for British citizens living in France
Over the last few years we have reported on the lifetime vote for those who have lived outside of the UK for more than 15 years. Those UK residents who lost that right to vote because of this rule will now be able to re-register from January 2024 (subject to Government completion of secondary legislation) […]
The Professional Liability of the Microentrepreneur
by Roger Haigh, MBE. Following on from our two articles in the last edition of ‘Keeping in Touch’ about setting up a business in France (1) and (2) Roger Haigh MBE outlines some of the other responsibilities micro-entrepreneurs have, such as professional qualifications, insurance and competition. The micro-entrepreneur is above all an individual entrepreneur, an […]
Scams – How to protect your personal data.
The incidence of scams is increasing. They pose a constant worry to many of us. One useful Government system ‘FranceConnect’ is a digital authentication guaranteeing the identity of a user to official sites or applications. It is based on existing accounts for which their identity has already been verified. This has created a new layer […]
Restrictions on plastic packaging of fresh foods
In the French government’s efforts to reduce waste another law came into effect on July 1st 2023 that restricts what fresh foods can be packaged in plastic. Other than 29 listed exemptions and items sold in batches weighing over 1.5kgs, plastic can no longer be used to sell fruit which must be presented loose or […]