|
France: Dual citizenship in France?:
Well, although I'm against this in principle and as a US-France dual national, this statement actually encourages me to some extent, because 1) it's more pro-EU than anything I've heard come out of her mouth, 2) she's probably upset some people who might have otherwise appreciated her anti-Arab stance.
France: Car: to rent, buy, or lease:
Hi antifreeze,
The rule of thumb is that leasing is less expensive if you rent over 21 days, and there are advantages to leasing as an expat, but you will want to do a price comparison for the exact duration you're looking at.
You would only pay TVA if you buy a brand new car from a dealer. The used car market in France is extremely active, so I would suggest buying a new-used car and saving the TVA and that initial depreciation on a brand new one. Many garages will offer warranties on new-used cars.
If parking is a real problem, you may just want to rent a car when you want to get out of town.
Best of luck,
Dennelle
www.renestance.com
France: Change of land use:
Hi Shorrocks,
What you want to do is called a 'changement de destination' in French, and the 9 possible uses or 'destinations' are:
- l’habitation
- l’hébergement hôtelier
- les bureaux
- le commerce
- l’artisanat
- l’industrie
- l’exploitation agricole ou forestière
- l’entrepôt
- les services publics ou d’intérêt collectif
You will go to the 'mairie' and fill out the appropriate Cerfa form for a 'déclaration préalable.' Normally the mayor has a month to respond if your request is rejected or if they want more info...longer if the property is near a historical monument or has some other protected status. If they don't respond, it's considered accepted.
Hope that helps,
Dennelle
www.renestance.com
France: Moving to France as Self Employed:
Hi bhharrison,
I'm not an immigration lawyer, but I do work with one on occasion when a client's situation calls for it. There are several Americans living in France with Long-Stay Visitor visas while working remotely for a/their US company. As long as no part of the business touches France (clients, suppliers, employees, etc.), you will not be asked to set up a French entity, and the authorities will consider your revenue similarly to US-sourced pension income. Keep in mind that you will need to declare your US-sourced income to the French tax authorities if you stay in the country longer than 183 days in the calendar year.
As a non-EU citizen, if you wanted to start a business in France, you would need to get either a Visa Commerçant or a 'Passeport Talent' depending on your project.
Kind regards,
Dennelle
www.renestance.com
France: Immigration consultant recommendations:
Thanks so much for the support, frabound and antifreeze! :-)
Kehrn89 - I'm happy to help with info for your son's impending move to France. Feel free to contact me directly at dennelle@renestance.com
Kind regards,
Dennelle
www.renestance.com
France: Visa/heath question/Moving to Nice:
Hi Stacy,
I don't know who else is in your family, but assuming they only have American citizenship and would be your dependents, the easiest visa to get would be the Long Stay Visitor visa. It can be valid up to one year and is renewable in France. You must request it at the French consulate closest to you in the US and prove that you have the means to support yourself and your dependents for the duration of your stay without working in France. You'll also need to show you have an address in France (the deed on your Nice property would suffice) and health insurance that covers you all in France.
You may apply for a Carte Vitale, which provides the basic French healthcare coverage, after 3 mos. of residency. It is not based on nationality or income, but it can take a while to get. It will cost approx. 8% of your annual income, based on your tax returns.
Don't hesitate to reach out directly if you have more questions. I'm in the business of helping English-speakers realize their dream of living in France :-)
Regards,
Dennelle
www.renestance.com
France: Permanent Relocation Investigation:
Hi there - well that sounds like a very exciting project! How lucky you are to have what's needed (language skills, time and money) in order to make it happen. :-) It's also a great idea to try a few places out, as residents instead of tourists, before settling on your forever home. Or, you might even decide to do a follow-the-sun retirement where you never stay more than 3-4 months in one area. I believe it's possible if you get a one-year visa in the country where you'll be the longest.
We have several clients who do what we call a 'Regional Reconnaissance mission' in the Languedoc area - less costly than Provence but just as nice! ;-) They either rent in one place for the full duration and do short, exploratory trips further out, or they rent for shorter periods in several locations. If you want to really try out living in a village, you'll obviously get more info if you are staying there rather than visiting for the day.
Best of luck in your project. Feel free to ask your questions here on the forum or even message me directly.
Kind regards,
Dennelle
www.renestance.com
France: Tricare for life recipients:
We have clients who were able to get the Long Stay Visitor Visa to retire in France using their Tricare coverage. Each French consulate is different, but sometimes they'll require you to have repatriation coverage, which Tricare does not provide. An additional travel insurance policy can add that coverage, if necessary, at a pretty reasonable cost.
There are no VA facilities here in France (at least not in the South of France), but you just send Tricare your claim forms. I know one person who has filed a claim, but I'm afraid I don't know how quickly he was reimbursed. The good thing is, if you do have to pay out of pocket, French healthcare is extremely inexpensive compared to care in the US...a standard doctor's visit costs €23 and medicines are dirt cheap.
Happy planning,
Dennelle
www.renestance.com
France: Retiree income taxes:
Hi EuroGuy,
OldPro has covered many valid points. I wanted to point out two more things: 1) that Overseas Retirement article is from 2013 and out of date/inaccurate for many of the tax rates it lists. 2) Your phrase "essentially the publication cites that total tax liability would be divided in 2 (myself and my wife) and each would be taxed for half of the total income - which would reduce the total taxes as compared to the total income being taxed a single time as it would avoid the higher marginal rates" does not seem right either.
I have been a US citizen living, working, and paying tax in France since 2000. I haven't had any retirement income yet (nor will I for a long time, unfortunately!), but I can tell you that your global income is viewed from a household level in France. There is no Married Filing Separately here.
Honestly, outside of the first couple years when I was a high-earning singleton (ah the good ol' days!), I have never felt that my tax burden has been bigger than it would have been in France. Like OldPro says, there are tons of deductions and rebates that offset many of the taxes we wouldn't pay in the US. Depending on the state, sales tax is about double, but property taxes are way less than half. It's important to pay the right amount to the right people, but I wouldn't let the tax situation be the deciding factor of where you want to live out your days.
Best of luck,
Dennelle
www.renestance.com
France: cockroaches:
I live in Languedoc and have never seen a cockroach in my or anyone else's home. I did a quick survey of friends, in case I just hadn't noticed them, and nobody else could remember seeing one either. Even if those dreadful creatures did venture into your home, I'm sure you could get an exterminator out on short order.
| |
Login to Contact RubyTooz
About RubyTooz
