Final deadline looms for French tax returns
Midnight on Thursday marks the final deadline for the majority of people in France to file their annual tax declaration.
Deadlines for completing the annual tax declaration are staggered depending on the areas where you live and began last week on June 4th. Midnight on Thursday, June 11th marks the last deadline for online returns, and applies to everybody living in the greater Paris area.
Everyone who has their main residence in France, or who earns income in France through businesses such as holiday rentals, is obliged to fill in the annual declaration.
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French tax calendar 2020 - what taxes are due and when?
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Exactly what assets do I need to tell the French taxman about?
Retirees or others who do not earn an income in France need to fill in the declaration too, and all your income and assets - whether earned in France or elsewhere - must be declared, although most countries have double taxation agreements with France which means you will not be taxed twice on the same income.
Two weeks before the final deadline, Public Accounts Minister Gérald Darmanin told France 2: "We already have 15 million taxpayers who have filed their income tax returns and there are still about 10 million taxpayers who have not yet fulfilled this obligation."
Tax declarations are made by household in France.
Due to the lockdown, French authorities have extended the original deadlines, so the new deadlines are;
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For départements 1 to 19: Thursday June 4th, 2020 at 11.59pm
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For départements 20 to 54: Monday June 8th, 2020 at 11.59pm
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For départements 55 to 976: Thursday June 11th, 2020 at 11.59pm
Those filing their taxes on paper have until June 12th, but only certain groups are exempt from the online declaration only rule - these include the elderly and people who live in zones blanches without internet access.
The French tax system is undergoing a change and from January 2019 salaried employees have had their income taxes deducted directly from their wages, meaning that many will have nothing to pay after filing the declaration.
However most employees still have to fill in the declaration, although this too is expected to change in the upcoming years.
This year round 12 million employees whose circumstances have remained unchanged since last year are exempt from the declaration - these people have already been contacted by the tax office to tell them they do not need to file.
If this is the first year you have filled in a tax declaration, you first need to request a numéro fiscale (tax number) to allow you to create an online account.
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Deadlines for completing the annual tax declaration are staggered depending on the areas where you live and began last week on June 4th. Midnight on Thursday, June 11th marks the last deadline for online returns, and applies to everybody living in the greater Paris area.
Everyone who has their main residence in France, or who earns income in France through businesses such as holiday rentals, is obliged to fill in the annual declaration.
READ ALSO
- French tax calendar 2020 - what taxes are due and when?
- Exactly what assets do I need to tell the French taxman about?
Retirees or others who do not earn an income in France need to fill in the declaration too, and all your income and assets - whether earned in France or elsewhere - must be declared, although most countries have double taxation agreements with France which means you will not be taxed twice on the same income.
- For départements 1 to 19: Thursday June 4th, 2020 at 11.59pm
- For départements 20 to 54: Monday June 8th, 2020 at 11.59pm
- For départements 55 to 976: Thursday June 11th, 2020 at 11.59pm
Those filing their taxes on paper have until June 12th, but only certain groups are exempt from the online declaration only rule - these include the elderly and people who live in zones blanches without internet access.
The French tax system is undergoing a change and from January 2019 salaried employees have had their income taxes deducted directly from their wages, meaning that many will have nothing to pay after filing the declaration.
However most employees still have to fill in the declaration, although this too is expected to change in the upcoming years.
This year round 12 million employees whose circumstances have remained unchanged since last year are exempt from the declaration - these people have already been contacted by the tax office to tell them they do not need to file.
If this is the first year you have filled in a tax declaration, you first need to request a numéro fiscale (tax number) to allow you to create an online account.
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