Tax d'habitation check

John & Maria · Post by **John & Maria** » Fri 23 Nov 2007 22:12

We bought a house just outside Arles Sur Tech 3 years ago,a bungalow on stillts really,although we have made the downstair space a summer kitchen,it is a detached property with 3 bedrooms and a small garden.
We use the house 10 weeks of the year at the moment and do not let it.
Last year for the first time and have just recieved this years tax d'habitation bill for a little over 900 euro including T V licence,Ihad no problem with this until speaking to fellow french class student here in UK,they speak of bills from 40 to 300 euro but in other departments.
Is there a way I can check my payment is correct?

Marguerite & Steve · Post by **Marguerite & Steve** » Fri 23 Nov 2007 22:27

Hi John & Marie and welcome.

That sounds a bit excessive, we pay about 400 euros including the TV licence and have 3 bedrooms and no outside garden apart from a terrace, so may be worth checking. We visit our home about 6-8 times a year and also don't let it.

M,

TOM AND BARB · Post by **TOM AND BARB** » Fri 23 Nov 2007 23:31

Hello,

We have just received our first d'habitation bill.

A few questions :

We are refurbishing our place.It is habitable (just).Nobody is currently living there as we are visiting every couple of months to work on the place ourselves.

Are we liable for taxe d'habitation ?
Our d'habitation and TV bill came to over 1000 euros.

We have already paid the Fonciere.

Secondly does the TV element of the tax apply if you have only a satellite getting UK transmissions . ie : no terrestrial French TV via an arial ?

If we are exempt from either of these two taxes how to we appeal and who do we contact.Is there a time limit ?

Thanks

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Sat 24 Nov 2007 08:49

John & Maria wrote:Is there a way I can check my payment is correct?

You can check what is on file for your house at the Hotel des Impots, Ave Cote Vermeille in Perpignan. They should have a breakdown of the "surface habitable", and the basis for their charge. I suggest you make some measurements of what you actually have before you go there. Also take a copy of your cadastre for the property to show exactly what you want to discuss with them.
DavidB

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Sat 24 Nov 2007 09:08

TOM AND BARB wrote:Are we liable for taxe d'habitation ?

You will have to pay some Taxe d'Habitation, but it may not be the full whack.
If you are only working on the house, your local Maire can give an attestation
to that effect which you can give to the tax people and/or Tresor Publique.
Visit the Hotel des Impots as I described in my reply to John & Maria below.
Also a visit to your Tresor Publique to query their bill may help.
Regarding the TV....it's the same ruling as in UK....if you have any apparatus capable of receiving programmes, you are required to pay for a TV licence.
Regarding payment/ time limits....you will probably have to pay up and receive a rebate if your claim for a reduction is processed and agreed.
In France, if you don't pay the Taxes Fonciere/Habitation by the dates specified, they will send you another bill with a % added on, then start to take legal action if there are further delays....they don't tend to mess about!
Hope this helps....sorry if it's a bit long-winded.
DavidB

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Sat 24 Nov 2007 09:28

I have paid the Fonciere also but haven't had the habitation yet. I presume it is in my post box in France. However my neighbour had had his in October and it was a 1000 Euros. Thus I am expecting a similar bill. Hopefully I can pay it in time before the fine. I received my fonciere to my UK address so expected the habitation to be the same. I presumed that this would have done by the notaire when we bought the property. Obviously not.

opas · Post by **opas** » Sat 24 Nov 2007 11:12

Kathy the deadline date for payment of the Hab bill is the 17/12/2007. have sent you a pm

Karrie · Post by **Karrie** » Wed 28 Nov 2007 23:31

Hi there,

We have a 4 bed house - our tax d'hab is around 900e and Fonciere 218. We don't live there either. As we have a French bank account, we have set up monthly direct debits for all our bills. It saves the worry of the bill going to the wrong address or being stuck in the post somewhere.

Just in case anyone has a new build there is a tax to pay once built, which no-one tells you about! It is considerable - the bill was in 2 parts the first half being payable about 15 months after the build was finished and the second a year after that. It was well in excess of 2000 euros! Ouch!

Polly and Steve · Post by **Polly and Steve** » Thu 29 Nov 2007 11:53

Yes, we've just returned to the UK to find our tax d'habitation waiting for us - just over 900 euros (including tv licence) for a two bedroom apartment in Ceret; the taxe fonciere was about the same too. We had already been to the Hotel des Impots in Perpignan to check what we were in for so it wasn't a surprise - very helpful lady there who explained how the amounts were calculated. Still eye-watering though - guess the answer is to be there permanently as soon as poss. to make the most of it and so we aren't paying similar charges in two countries!! Roll on that happy day!

PaddyFrog · Post by **PaddyFrog** » Thu 29 Nov 2007 23:35

Information removed by PF

opas · Post by **opas** » Tue 04 Dec 2007 18:05

paddyfrog, you mention that there is an office for the impots in Prades, thats interesting and just as I need to pay them a visit too!
Is it open eveyday or is it one of those visiting offices like CPAM have? and can you give me some directions.
I just hope that if I do go there they do not sent me to Perpignan.....it is to do with a dossier that has already been opened at perpignan.

your help would be very much appreciated.

groslard · Post by **groslard** » Mon 11 Feb 2008 20:53

opas wrote:paddyfrog, you mention that there is an office for the impots in Prades, thats interesting and just as I need to pay them a visit too!
Is it open eveyday or is it one of those visiting offices like CPAM have? and

I do everything I possibly can by email, but I'm in the Hérault.
The local office in Béziers is very efficient at replying to emails.

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