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What changes in France in April 2019

Here's what changes in France in April.

Published: 1 April 2019 11:14 CEST
What changes in France in April 2019
A price cap has been introduced on certain dental treatments. Photo: AFP

April 1 marks the end of the 'winter break' when tenants who are in rent arrears cannot be evicted, so eviction procedures for non-payment of rent or utility bills will resume today. According to anti-poverty charity Fondation Abbé Pierre, 15,550 people were evicted with the assistance of the police in France in 2017.  

READ ALSO Everything that changes in France for 2019


Car mechanics are now legally obliged to offer customers the option of second hand parts. Photo: AFP

Gas prices
 
In good news, gas prices have fallen, albeit not by much. According to the Energy Regulatory Commission, the fall equates to  -0.7 percent for those who use gas for cooking, -1.3 percent for those who have a dual use cooking and hot water, -2.2 percent for homes which are heated by gas, and -2.5 percent for households equipped with small boilers.  
 
Motoring
 
Getting your car fixed could potentially be cheaper from today, as mechanics are now legally advised to offer motorists the option of having parts replaced with second hand items, which can be 30 to 50 per cent cheaper. The car owner then makes the decision on whether to get a new or second hand part.
 
Health
 
In healthcare, the price of certain dental procedures have been capped; The price of a zirconia crown on a visible tooth can now not exceed €480 while a metal-ceramic bridge on incisors will now cost a maximum of €1485.
Price controls have also been added to wigs for cancer patients, with a greater level of reimbursement and a price cap on synthetic wigs.
 
There has also been a change to the ceiling for the allocation of free medical care, the Couverture maladie universelle complémentaire (CMU), from €8,810 a year to €8,951 a year for a person living alone. For two people living together, the ceiling is €13,426.
 
Benefits
 
There has also been a small rise in certain types of benefit, with a 0.3 per cent rise in certain types of family allowances, as well as disability benefits for some people and workplace accident pensions.
 

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TAXES

How Germany plans to increase child benefits and provide tax relief

Germany's governing coalition has agreed to increase child benefits (Kindergeld) and offer tax relief. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 29 July 2020 11:51 CEST
Updated: 29 July 2020 13:19 CEST
How Germany plans to increase child benefits and provide tax relief
Photo: DPA

The cabinet of the coalition government, made up of Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) agreed Wednesday to increase child benefit – or Kindergeld – by €15 per month next year.

The move is part of the Family Relief Act (Familienentlastungsgesetz), which aims to take the financial burden off middle and lower class families. It's part of an overall package which is setting the federal government back €9.8 billion over 2019 and 2020.

The child benefit is to rise to €219 per month on January 1st 2021 for the first and second child, to €225 per month for the third child, and to €250 from the fourth child onwards.

According to the bill, families will also receive tax relief. for example, the tax-free child allowance (Kinderfreibetrag) is to be raised by more than €500 to €8,388.

In total, families would be relieved of around €12 billion per year, said Finance Minister Olaf Scholz of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).

“This is good news for all families and children in Germany,” he said.

READ ALSO: Kindergeld – what you need to know about Germany's child support payments

 

Families are also set to benefit from a cash boost due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The planned Kinderbonus of €300 per child is to be transferred in two instalments of €150 each in September this year, and October. It will be paid to parents alongside Kindergeld.

Explained: How does Germany's Kinderbonus coronavirus payment work?

Boost for taxpayers

Meanwhile, all taxpayers in Germany are to receive a boost. The basic tax-free allowance will be increased from €9,408 to €9,696 from next year.

Meanwhile, the limit, from which the highest tax rate of 42 percent must be paid, will rise from €57,052 to an annual income of €57,919. A further increase of the income limits is planned for 2022.

However, all changes agreed by the cabinet must still be approved by the Bundestag and Bundesrat before they can come into force.

READ ALSO: Here's how Germany plans to reform 'Elterngeld' for new parents

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