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TAXES

The French tax calendar for 2021 – which taxes are due when?

The French government has released the tax deadlines for 2021. These are the dates to keep in mind.

Published: 13 April 2021 14:59 CEST
Updated: 20 October 2021 09:24 CEST
The French tax calendar for 2021 - which taxes are due when?
Most tax payers in France will fill out their forms online this year, but those living in remote areas with poor internet access may still do it on paper. Photo: LOIC VENANCE / AFP

Last year, the government decided to push back the tax deadline dates because of the strict Covid-19 lockdown, but this year the normal timeframe remains in place.

People who live in France or own property here generally have to pay at least some tax as – in return for its robust welfare state –  France is the most highly taxed country in Europe. 

The big one is the annual déclaration des revenues, which this year opened on Thursday, April 8th.

Almost everyone who lives in France has to fill in the annual declaration and non-residents may have to if they have an income in France. Second-home owners usually won’t have to do the annual declaration but they are liable for property taxes.

Find out HERE who has to make the declaration, how to do it and some handy vocab to use.

EXPLAINED: Who has to make a tax declaration in France in 2021?

These are the key dates to keep in mind.

May 20th – closing date for the annual tax declarations done on paper. The French government asks everyone who can to declare their taxes online. However first time tax payers and people living in areas with poor internet access may use the paper version of the tax forms.

READ ALSO: How to file your 2021 French tax declaration

May 26th – closing date for online tax declarations for inhabitants of départements 1 to 19, as well as people who live outside France

June 1st – closing date for online tax declarations for inhabitants of départements 20 to 54

June 8th – closing date for online tax declarations for inhabitants of départements 55 to 976

Over the summer you will then receive by mail or email (depending on how you filed the return) a bill telling you how much tax you owe. This bill could be €0 or the government could even give you money.

READ ALSO What the French government doesn’t tell you about filing taxes

As well as the annual declaration, people who own property in France also pay property taxes, and unfortunately these are still due even for people who have been unable to visit their French properties due to Covid-related travel restrictions.

October 15th – deadline to pay taxe foncière by mail

October 20th – deadline to pay taxe foncière online

October 31st – deadline to register to pay taxe d’habitation and redevance audiovisuelle (the French TV licence) by monthly instalments

November 15th – deadline to pay taxe d’habitation by mail

November 20th – deadline to pay taxe d’habitation online

Mid December – the deadline to correct errors in your online tax declaration. If you have forgotten to add something or made a mistake in your calculations in your declaration you can go online and correct it without attracting a penalty.

So what are all these taxes?

Taxe d’habitation – the housing tax paid by those living in a property, not the owner, is in the process of being phased out and most people won’t have to pay it this year. However second home owners are excluded from the phasing out and still have to pay it, bar a few exceptions.

READ ALSO: Can second-home owners in France claim tax rebates for 2020?

Taxe foncière – this is the tax for property owners, second home owners pay both this and the taxe d’habitation. The tax on property owners has risen in many areas over the past couple of years.

READ ALSO What is taxe foncière and do I have to pay it?

Redevance audiovisuelle – this is the French equivalent of a TV licence and is paid by almost everyone. You pay it if you have a TV in your property, even if you don’t watch French TV.

Avis d’impôt/déclaration des revenues – this is your yearly tax return and is the cause of quite a lot of confusion among foreign residents but in fact the rule is simple – if your main residence is in France you must fill in a tax return.

Many people assume that if their income all comes from another country then they don’t need to file a tax return but this is not the case. France has double taxation agreements with most countries, so if you have already paid tax on – for example – income from a rental property in the UK you will not be liable for more tax in France on the same income, but you must still tell the French taxman about it.

READ ALSO What exactly do I need to tell the French taxman about?

All income must be declared, as well as all bank accounts in other countries even if they are dormant.

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For members

HEALTH

The different ways you can make a doctor’s appointment in France

Booking a medical appointment in France can be time-consuming – especially if you are new to the country and are looking for an English-speaking doctor.

Published: 13 May 2024 16:52 CEST
The different ways you can make a doctor's appointment in France

You do not need a carte vitale to book a doctor’s appointment in France – anyone who needs medical help while in the country is entitled to it, but you may not be entitled to any reimbursement if you are not part of the social security system.

Booking a GP’s appointment can be as simple as phoning up your friendly neighbourhood GP, or using an online service such as Doctolib. 

It helps a lot, if you have a médecin traitant – an attending GP, who adds you (and your family, if they can) to their list of patients. 

READ ALSO Explained: How to register with a doctor in France

It is not always easy to find one. Some parts of the country are short of GPs, which means doctors’ lists can fill up very quickly. But it is important that anyone who lives in France is registered with a named GP, especially if they have a carte vitale.

As well as being the main point of contact between patients and the medical profession in all its guises, it is financially responsible to be registered with a GP in France.

Reimbursement on consultations is typically 70 percent through the French healthcare system, but just 30 percent for anyone without a declared doctor. Meanwhile, top-up mutuelle health insurance companies usually require you to declare a médecin traitant and if you don’t, you may not be able to receive reimbursements on certain treatments.

Bear in mind, it is your responsibility to register with a local médecin traitant. But, even after you have done so, you can still make an appointment with any doctor, anywhere in France, and arrange specialist treatment, if you need it. 

READ ALSO 5 things to know about visiting a doctor in France

How do you go about making a GP appointment in France?

There are several options.

Some health centres – more often in larger towns and cities – operate a walk-in policy. But expect waits to be lengthy. Do not, however, assume that your GP operates a system like this.

You can phone for an appointment. This is another very common method. Your GP will have their own system for making appointments – which may even include something that looks, to the uninitiated, very much like a casual walk-in policy. 

Some may have an assistant to deal with booking appointments and other administration. Others may deal with appointments themselves, and may – for example – operate some sort of triage system based on voice messages from patients. 

What about online booking systems?

And many practitioners are now attached to websites, such as Doctolib. As of 2023, about half of all GP appointments in France were made using Doctolib.

READ ALSO How to use: French medical website Doctolib

Be aware that other online booking systems are available. Doctolib is one of the best known, but your GP may be attached to another system, like the health ministry approved site ‘LeMedecin.Fr’.

This website also has a feature where you can take an immediate online consultation with whatever doctor is available at that moment. By clicking ‘Consultez en vidéo maintenant’ you will be connected to the next doctor who is free. This option may involve an additional charge between €5-10 on top of the price of the consultation, and you will be expected to pay when booking.

If you have any trouble with either of these websites, you can go through the list of registered generalists per département on the ‘Ameli’ website. If you use this option, you will need to call the doctor to see if they are open or available for appointments.

In terms of wait times, online systems have helped to significantly reduce the delay between booking and getting an appointment.

According to a 2023 study by Doctolib, about half of all GP appointments were available within three days from the time of booking on their platform.

Similarly, you can use online platforms to check the medical professional’s qualifications and languages spoken, as well as filter based on the doctor’s English abilities. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt because not every medical professional with English listed on their Doctolib page speaks fluent English. 

An increasing number of doctorsoffer video consultations, known as télémédecine in France. This allows professionals – particularly those in more rural areas – to diagnose less serious conditions remotely. This type of consultation is usually only available from those medical practices that are attached to online booking systems. 

Some pharmacies have also begun offering walk-in télémedicine consults, using ‘Medadom’ machines. More information here.

What about specialists?

In France, you book your own consultations with specialists, even if you are referred by a doctor (your GP may offer a recommendation, but won’t always). The good news is that many specialists do use online booking services. Those that do not usually have assistants to take care of the appointments.

READ ALSO: Urgent care: How to get non-emergency medical treatment in France

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