cator

After more than 30 years in France, going back to the UK is more daunting than I had imagined. We have a buyer willing to wait for our apartment but we need to consider the following:


Decide on a date. Leave before Dec 31 or wait till April 2021 and apply for a carte de sejour.

Will NHS cover, start straight away? Our French mutuelle will not cover us when we leave since no securite sociale.

Any shares transactions this year will mean making non resident tax return after we have left. Will we need to hire a French comptable for next year's returns?

We intend taking no furniture other than personals as we already have our house in UK but how to dispose them? Give it all to the salvation army/red cross or use auction house?

Many more questions on closing Assurance Vie and keeping some shares in France when UK tax year starts in April and France starts in January.

Has anyone had similar experience to share?

EuroTrash

Can't help much with the rest but I don't see the significance of waiting til April 2021? I believe CdS applications can be made starting July 2020 and up to June 2021. Originally France was proposing to start issuing the new cards from July 2020 but I believe the EU has now said that they can't be issued until Jan 2021. Either way, what's the signifcance of April 2021?

I returned to the UK in 2019 with the intention of working as a salariée for 3 years to take me to retirement and make up my full UK pension, and to finish my working life with a bang as it were - it was a nice job working with kids and I was going to give it all I'd got and hopefully finish my working life on a high. Unfortunately it didn't work out like that, so I'm picking up my freelance work and heading back to France very soon. Have to say I found it strange being back in the UK, but that was partly because I hadn't watched UK TV or kept up with popular culture so I had to have everything explained to me - TV characters, what sweets and drinks British kids like, etc. It was very like moving to a foreign country in some ways.
I went to the French tax office before I left and they explained what to do as regards tax when you leave France, and that seems to have all worked smoothly. If you leave in say April 2021, you will declare your income between 1.1.20 and 31.12.20 as usual in May 2021 because you were still resident at that time, and you'll also notify them that you've subsequently left France and give them your new address. Then in May 2022 you'll declare any income you had between 1.1.21 and the date you left France. I believe that if you have income in France after your leaving date, you fill in a second declaration as a non resident - I recently made my impôts declaration for the few months I was in France at the beginning of 2019, and I seem to remember that it flashed up a message to that effect, though it didn't apply to me. If you declare online, the onscreen messages guide you pretty well.
However I had a whole saga with HMRC, their rules for their "split year" treatment fried my brain and I ended up getting fined and then refunded when I appealed, and bizarrely I had to pay NICs for the whole of UK tax year 2018-2019 even though I was working in France for the whole of 2018 and up to February 2019- not sure that was correct but I was happy enough to pay it since the whole point of coming back was to make up my NIC record!
As long as you're prepared for a bit of a learning curve rather than expecting to slot straight back in, you won't have any problems I'm sure. Good luck with the move and every happiness in your new adventure

EuroTrash

Actually it just occurred to me that your mention of April was probably to do with the UK tax year, not to do with applying for a CdS.
I would definitely recommend doing that if you can. Having to figure out how to deal with a partial UK tax year is no fun, and I didn't find HMRC helpful.
You won't need to apply for a CdS if you leave France in April, there is no obligation for Brits to be in possession of one until July 2021.

dmu

Hi, whatever you do, you'll have to declare this year's dividends in next year's Déclaration des Revenus. If you're not comfortable with declaring on-line, then a Financial Adviser at your Bank or an Expert-Comptable will be able to do it.
If I were you, I'd redeem your Assurance-Vie as from now. They'll deduct a "fine" for early closure, but it's well worth it, to avoid the hassle that your Beneficiaries will have when the time comes for them to claim.
You should keep your French Bank Account open for as long as all the various taxes and regular DDs, and incoming S.S. reimbursements, for example, and other regular income, continue.
Can't help on the other aspects. You could post on the Moving Back to the UK forum where there are folk more in the know.
HTH

May contain nuts

I'm sure Emmaüs would be delighted to take any unwanted furniture off your hands. They'll come to your house with their own van and take it all away - free of charge.
As for re-integrating yourselves back into the UK, good luck with that process! You may find that France's reputation for mindless paperwork is not unique to them!
Hope it goes well for you!

cyrian

Check if there is a delay in collections by Emmaus.
I have a friend who volunteers for them and he tells me that the local branch has a backlog for furniture collection.

spouse of scouse

As UK citizens you'll be eligible for all NHS services the moment you return with the intention of living there permanently.

SanDiegogirl

Never found that selling used furniture yielded anything like a good price and was a hassle. I'd donate it ....

Chatter Static

If France you would be surprised what's in the second hand ad's

cator

Hi EuroTrash, and thanks for your info.

As you have seen from my previous posts on the subject, I have been reluctant to make the break with France, but age is a main constraint. On the tax front, there seems no problem as you say with the French side, and as for the UK end, I've been in touch with a suitable UK local accountant to sort out the transition, so hopefully everything will go according to plan.

Good luck with your return and hope that all will be as before.

cator

Hi dmu, and thanks for your advice particularly concerning the Assurance Vie. I have till the end of this year to close it down and repatriate the cash.

cator

Hi "May contain nuts", and thanks for your advice. I have heard of Emmaus and the service they provide, and it was on the lines I was thinking about. As for the UK paper work I hope that the local accountants will help.

dmu

Don't wait too long, it takes time to process!

cator

Hi "Spouse of scouse", and thanks for your advice. I understand that there could be a problem with doctors' lists being full but we'll face that when we come to it.

cator

Hi SanDiegogirl, and I entirely agree with your sentiment.

The hussle of receiving people, and privacy questions, are not worth the money that used furniture can bring.