French Tax

[expat]

Hi,

I've been contracting in France for about 10 years, the above statement isn't correct I'm afraid. If you contract in France for more than a 6 month period then legally you have to set yourself up as a "Professional Liberal" - you will pay in total taxs (tax, social, all the other ones) about 47% - no matter if you're earning 4 pounds a week or 4000 a week. If you are a Professional Liberal you do not have the right to claim unemployement benefit.
The French hate anyone trying to be indepandant..
The only way you can do it is to get emplyed by the French equivalnet of an umbrella company - you then get a salary and the benefit rights. You also don't get the headache of all the French admin - AND THERE IS A LOT. But on the minus side they take their cut .

cheers

As elsewhere, get an accountant and he will tell you what to do.

[webwoo]

MMm, Maybe so but on the other side paying to the social security payment is worth while if you fancy a long holiday....
In affect if your contract make enough payments you can then make a claim for large proportion of your last working salary for the next 12 months whilst seeking work within french territorry (on a beach in Tahiti for instance..)

Hi,

I've been contracting in France for about 10 years, the above statement isn't correct I'm afraid. If you contract in France for more than a 6 month period then legally you have to set yourself up as a "Professional Liberal" - you will pay in total taxs (tax, social, all the other ones) about 47% - no matter if you're earning 4 pounds a week or 4000 a week. If you are a Professional Liberal you do not have the right to claim unemployement benefit.
The French hate anyone trying to be indepandant..
The only way you can do it is to get emplyed by the French equivalnet of an umbrella company - you then get a salary and the benefit rights. You also don't get the headache of all the French admin - AND THERE IS A LOT. But on the minus side they take their cut .

cheers

[ace00]

MMm, Maybe so but on the other side paying to the social security payment is worth while if you fancy a long holiday....
In affect if your contract make enough payments you can then make a claim for large proportion of your last working salary for the next 12 months whilst seeking work within french territorry (on a beach in Tahiti for instance..)

Interesting, do you know if there is a minimum duration for those payments to be made? Say 12 months?

[rz6bm7]

My advice is to get a good management company that can make sure you stay out of the French system. The income taxes are not that bad, but the social security payments will cripple you (around 22% I think )

MMm, Maybe so but on the other side paying to the social security payment is worth while if you fancy a long holiday....
In affect if your contract make enough payments you can then make a claim for large proportion of your last working salary for the next 12 months whilst seeking work within french territorry (on a beach in Tahiti for instance..)

[Toastiness]

I have a one year PM contract in Paris, can anyone post on a link regarding French Income Tax or any info --as of yet I have paid Mr France nothing.

Is French Tax law very strict or ane there any opportunities to be 'creative'?

My advice is to get a good management company that can make sure you stay out of the French system. The income taxes are not that bad, but the social security payments will cripple you (around 22% I think )

[rz6bm7]

http://france.angloinfo.com/tax/fren...ce_banking.asp

Hope that helps..

[Mike Hunt]

Oh come on Advocate !!! They are not that bad

[Advocate]

And I came here thinking this was going to be about us taxing people if they were French...

[Mike Hunt]

I have a one year PM contract in Paris, can anyone post on a link regarding French Income Tax or any info --as of yet I have paid Mr France nothing.

Is French Tax law very strict or ane there any opportunities to be 'creative'?