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Working in France

Currently in France

Currency

Euro

Weather

Paris

Partly Cloudy, 6 C

Population:

64,057,792 (July 2009 est.)

Time difference:

(GMT+1)

Telephone code:

+33

Capital:

Paris

Languages:

French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

Tax Authority:

Administration Fiscale - www.impots.gouv.fr

Social Security:

Assurance Maladie - www.ameli.fr

Social Security and Tax System:

The Social Security in France is mainly financed by contributions and taxes deducted from earnings. Contributions are calculated on the basis of percentage rates decided at national level and are borne partly by employers and partly by employees. Beside contributions, the general scheme is financed by two specific taxes based on income:

• The CSG “Contribution Sociale Généralisée” is paid on income from employment, replacement income, property income and investment income.
• The CRDS “Contribution pour le Remboursement de la Dette Sociale”, which came into effect on 1st February 1996, is also paid on all income. All persons treated as residents of France for income tax purposes and subject to a French compulsory health insurance scheme are liable to the CSG at the rate of 7.5% and the CRDS at the rate of 0.5% on their earnings.

In France Taxes are not deducted at source by the employer. Taxpayers have to declare their income by filling in a tax return form in the year following the year during the one they earned their income.

The Income taxes in France are calculated taking your personal situation into account and there are five rates:

Average Monthly Rent:

Accommodation:

To rent accommodation in France, you will normally be asked to pay your monthly rent and a guarantee deposit equivalent to 1 or 2 months’ rent. If you make your search through an agency you will have to pay agency fees that will depend on the length of the contract.
As the law gives lots of protection to tenants in France, landlords often ask for references, certificates from your bank and they could ask you many other questions to prove your income, reliability and credibility as a tenant.

Opening a bank account in France:

In France there are different types of accounts:

- Non-resident account (compte non- resident): this account is more restrictive about the amount of money it is possible to transfer and it is not possible to obtain an overdraft.
- Current Account (compte courant, a compte à vue or a compte de depot): it is necessary to open this account to pay bills and usually is free from fees.
- Deposit Account (compte sur livret, or Livret B): in this account it is possible deposit money that will not be used immediately.

From January 2008 the banks have to tell what charges have been applied to your account.

There are fees for a debit card, a cheque book, statements, standing orders, foreign currency transactions and going over an overdraft.

To open the bank account you will need to fill an application form, called a mandate:

• Reference from your current bank
• Copy of your passport
• Evidence of residency status
• You will also need to deposit some funds to open the account

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