leapylee

Hi there
Like so many people my husband & I (mid fifties) have dreamed of a house in France and it looks like next year may be the year! It would be for year round holidays for ourselves and also to generate some rental income. We love so many areas of France it is sooo hard to decide where

We love the great outdoors - mostly hill walking, cycling and kayaking and we have done a little cross country skiing. We have visited the Jura and lac de Vouglans which was stunning and are thinking that the area around there and Clairvaux les Lacs may fit the bill for us in terms of our hobbies, and yet still be within a days drive of the channel. It also seems to be within easy reach of vineyards to the west and the high mountains further south. We like hot summers and don't mind cold winters.

But strangely despite research through magazines and the internet this area doesn't seem to get much coverage, and we wonder if there is a reason we are missing?

Obviously if still looking positive after receiving any advice you can offer, we would intend to visit at different times of year to get more of an insight before looking for somewhere.

Any opinions gratefully received!

EuroTrash

Hi leapylee!

The only advice I can offer is, choosing a location is a very personal thing and if you like the Jura then go for it - why ask anybody else's advice on whether it will suit you or not?

As far as rental income goes, I take it you've read the latest scare story?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2nOtQcloS
Of course anything in the DM has to be taken with a large pinch of salt, but it is a fact that rental income from French properties has to be declared in France and is taxable in France... and Hollande is looking to maximise tax revenue at the moment, so if he has his way it'll be a euro for you and two euros for him... Well maybe not that bad; but if you decide to buy, I think it should be for the pleasure you will get out of it, and not for any financial gain. What with taxes, more taxes, and potential CGT if you decide to sell, buying property in France primarily as as an investment in the current economic/political climate may backfire badly.

Chatter Static

Suddenly France and Spain will not longer be top destinations for holidaying the guise is lost tax revenue but it's the large hotel chains that have been lobbying for this they think it with drive up their trade but people will just go elsewhere.

suppleberry

The Jura's a beautiful part of France and is a holiday destination year round with the mountains and resorts like Les Rousses.

I'm not sure why it's not more popular with Brits in the UK as it's easy to access from Geneva (which has plenty of flights) and certainly seems to be popular with expats living in Switzerland and with the Swiss.

It must be the lack of high mountains that mean people go to other resorts where the skiing is more challenging and snow more reliable. In the summer the place is lovely, with exceptional walking.

I think it's a wonderful place to have a holiday home and good value the further you go from Geneva.

leapylee

Hi again
thanks for your replies. We hadn't heard about the DM article so will definitely follow what is happening there! (Hubbie just said we would get round that problem by moving over permanently - think he's joking (?) - that's one solution I suppose )

We thought it a lovely area when we visited but insider knowledge is always good to have.

Thanks again

EuroTrash

It might not solve the problem of course - there is also this proposal on the table at the moment to tax all owner occupiers on the notional rental value of their properties. So if you own a house that would bring in 10 000€ a year in rent, but the house is your main home and you don't rent it out - the government will add the notional rental value to your income and tax you on it just the same as if you did rent it out.

One way or another Hollande is looking to raise as much tax from property owners as he can, so do keep an eye on the news so that you know what might be in the wind, and when choosing your property leave yourselves a cushion for new taxes that he dreams up in the future.

Can't find anything in English about the new proposition, I don't suppose it is of much interest to the UK press, but here is a link in French
http://www.lefigaro.fr/immobilier/20...r-une-taxe.php

Chti Anglais

"It might not solve the problem of course - there is also this proposal on the table at the moment to tax all owner occupiers on the notional rental value of their properties. So if you own a house that would bring in 10 000€ a year in rent, but the house is your main home and you don't rent it out - the government will add the notional rental value to your income and tax you on it just the same as if you did rent it out"




That's what the Swiss do

EuroTrash

I have a notion the Dutch do something similar as well?

leapylee

From the Daily Mail : 'In France, a crackdown on holiday lets in the capital Paris as well as Lyon and Marseille is expected next week. If the new law is a success, the rest of the country could follow suit.'

thanks for all your comments. I have been trying to find out if this new law was passed but haven't been able to find anything on the internet (must be looking in the wrong place!).
Does anybody know any more please?
Many thanks

EuroTrash

The DM is never a very reliable source when it reports on things expat.

It isn't so much a new law as enforcing and tightening up the laws that already exist. All holiday lets should by law be registered with the commune, and the rental income should be declared for tax. Some property owners let their property but do neither of those things, resulting in a combination of unpaid taxes, substandard accommodation and unfair competition to landlords who do play by the book.

I think we can assume that there will be increasingly strict policing of the rules, starting in Paris and other big cities where the provision of rental accommodation is a big issue, but there is no reason why proprietors who let property out above board and legit would be affected.