brownbear

Hi, hopefully someone can give us some help to answer our ever increasing questions!
Very briefly my husband and I are moving to the Aquitaine region next month with a view to buying some land and building a house. Firstly, we will need to rent somewhere while we find the land and also to make sure we are happy there. Secondly, my husband is self employed in the UK, working from home and hoping to continue this in France. Thirdly, we are expecting our first baby in October and would like to have the baby in France. Finally, I am a Primary teacher and would like to continue working for a while but would not expect maternity pay. I speak intermediate French and we both intend to learn to converse fluently with lessons and living in France.

So... our questions are:
Can we rent a place in the Landes region without having jobs in France? We could pay a year in advance.
Where do we pay tax if working as self employed in the UK but living in France?
How will the medical system work for us if we intend to have a baby in France?
Is it likely that I will get a job as an English teacher or work in a nursery/primary school?

Thanks to anyone who has any advice, we are panicking a bit!

dmu

On another thread, someone said that it's not possible to pay a year's rent in advance. What landlords want are regular fiches de paie which prove you have a regular income and I believe that priority is given to joint incomes 4 times the monthly rent...
I imagine that, as long as your husband is paid in the UK, you won't be liable to French Income Tax, but maybe someone on this Forum who is more qualified to answer knows about that.
You have to be French to be a Fonctionnaire, which is what State school teachers are here, and I'm not sure whether private primary schools exist outside of cities. But in any case you must be able to speak French fluently to teach ALL subjects in a French School and cope in French with the Administration and parents... All the same, check to see whether there's an Ecole Internationale in Bordeaux. A friend of mine, a qualified teacher, eventually found an in-house job teaching English to businessmen in a big firm, but that was in the Paris suburbs...
As for having a baby in France, other, more recent mothers will be able to help concerning the question of the Sécu, but you must consult a G.P. as soon as you arrive here in order to get the Carnet de Maternité (or whatever it's called now) and get into the "System". There are a lot of compulsory tests between confirmation of pregnancy and birth. Also, there would be the question of child-care if you yourself find a job. If you are both working, you'll need to live in a town where there's a crêche (and French mothers-to-be usually enrol on the waiting list the minute their pregnancy is confirmed...).
So many things to consider!
I wish you all the best!

jdr

I think you will find if you are resident of a country then that is where you pay your tax and health insurance etc, regardless of where you assume you work.
You can`t have your cake and eat it. ;-))

val50

No JDR, what happens in France is you have to declare any income earned in another country but if you have already paid tax in that country then that is taken into consideration, as there is not double taxation between UK and France. I did it for a few years, worked in Portsmouth, paid tax and NI contributions in UK. Just had to declare amount I'd earnt and deductions made on our french tax return.

jdr

Strange, when will all of EU work by the same rules. lol

So how does the NI work then ?
If you are not a UK resident you should not be entitled to claim for health cover.

val50

Back again - sorry I couldn't answer your post in more detail earlier
For tax queries you should speak to the office in UK:

Centre for Non-Residents (Newcastle)
Inland Revenue
Longbenton
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE98 1ZZ
United Kingdom

Helpline: +44 (0)207 438 6425

I don't know if you are aware of the fact that regulations regarding health care in France for residents from other EU countries has changed recently. You should contact the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to obtain advice on your long term entitlement as residents to health care provision under the French national system.
DWP Overseas Medical Benefits help-line on 00 44 191 218 1999 which is open on Mondays to Fridays from 08.00 to 20.00 daily. Alternatively, information can be obtained direct from the English language service of the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (French social security service) on 00 33 8 20 90 42 12 or CLEISS (the Helpdesk in France for international mobility and social security) on 00 33 1 45 26 33 41, website: www.cleiss.fr


Our children attended a sous-contrat school (semi-private). There were English, American and Canadian teachers there, so it is possible to get jobs in schools in France.

You might also find this website useful regarding NI contributions
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/osc.htm

val50

Have a look at this link - might explain better than I can
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/ca3837-info.htm

jdr

Thanks val that is interesting, although time limits and a few costly little clauses for the UK gov to use if they like.

I will put it in the free beer thread in Spain.

brownbear

Thanks everyone, this all looks really helpful. I will need to take some time looking at the links and then probably have more questions! Pregnancy seems to have addled my brain! I have heard before about stating earnings on the french tax forms and the double taxation agreement with the UK so I will keep looking into it.
Thanks again, it's great to know that there are people with lots of experience out there.
Kirsty