French and living abroad? Start panicking...
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has floated a rather unnerving proposition:
He has recommend "setting up a citizen tax which all French would pay even if they moved their money out of the jurisdiction" and "to fight against this shunning France when one is French" on Ségolène Royal's official site.
And this "will allow the Socialists to show the French that contrary to what some say, for the Socialists it is not a question of tax and spend, but of more effective and just taxes, and expenditure which will also serve the general interest".
Naturally this is aimed more at the likes of Johnny Halliday than the man in therue street, but...
He has recommend "setting up a citizen tax which all French would pay even if they moved their money out of the jurisdiction" and "to fight against this shunning France when one is French" on Ségolène Royal's official site.
And this "will allow the Socialists to show the French that contrary to what some say, for the Socialists it is not a question of tax and spend, but of more effective and just taxes, and expenditure which will also serve the general interest".
Naturally this is aimed more at the likes of Johnny Halliday than the man in the
Labels: France
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on Friday, February 09, 2007 at 12:31 pm.
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I'm wondering how exactly they'd enforce it. Cancel passports? Of course, if the French have any sense they won't elect Mme Royal, who is clearly not the brightest girl around and is horribly out of her depth. Her current strategy seems to be grinning inanely and cuddling sheep. But as the French are socialist at heart I fear she may well get the nod if she can survive the split socialist vote and scrape through the first round.
It came as a surprise to me that something not too dissimilar already exists in the States.
American citizens are responsible for American income tax regardless of where in the world they live. Income tax paid to foreign governments, however, is offset against American tax liability. And since foreign income taxe rates are generally higher than the US rate, the tax owed in the States is usually nil.
The American system is based on the fact that,no matter where you are in the world, you are an American citizen and entitled to the protection of the United States. As you mentioned, they offset the tax paid in the host country, so that what is owed is usually nil or a comparatively small amount. But it is a way of enforcing the contract between the citizen and the state.
DR S, V - Indeed yes. A pal of mine has not filed in a Texas etc tax return in some years, and is waiting for the to come and get him...
While double taxation treaties apply to 'normal' taxation, this appears to be a somewhat different beast, although the detail I have given is pretty well all that there is in the original.
I can just imagine my expat French friends giving a Gallic shrug and ignoring this if it ever comes into law!
The French government is no different from any other government. It's intention is to control. You can run, but you can't hide.
Apparently taxi drivers and lawyers (fancy...) are the French tax dodging national champions, so maybe they will be selling / imparting good ideas.
So if you move to Sweden, you pay 57pc Swedish tax and 50pc French "impost"? Hmmm.
DSK and his socialist brethren do not care if you leave, just so long as you keep paying to support the state subsidies handed out those left behind. In France you do not matter - only your Euros (and increasingly your Francs).
Are they slipping back into using francs in France? I read that the Germans and Italians were trading in their old money in shops and so on. It will be quite entertaining to watch the euro sink without trace.
whilst it may be true that many overseas americans do not have, after all is said and done, any tax to pay from year to year- the issue is you are supposed to be filing a return every year.
Verity thinks it is enforcing the contract between the citizen and the state- what contract is that?
I am a british citizen, and no matter where I go in the world, I'll have british protection.
It is a bullshit way of the US keeping tabs on everyone (including anyone with USA green car, even if no longer residing in the US!)
Bush was lobbied by Republican Abroad to get rid of this nonsense to no avail. Don't believe me? Go to a Republicans Abroad meeting and listen to the number one thing the bitch about- it is this little arrangement!
Basically, it is against European tax treaties so she might get people outside Europe but not within. Gosh I hate the bloody sego and even more little facist sarko. Allez les Bleus!!
Jm
What is a Brave to do, eh?
The winner of the french election will be 1 of 2 groups (the poors or the rest). there is no room for socialism anymore...It is chacun pour soi. the exact opposit of the mousquetaires. Lets face it..life has turned so hard that we rather the poor just disappear. I bet william 100 sacks that Sarko will win and I can say that either ways i am glad no to be there anymore
JM
http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/segolene/video/xtih7_segolene-ripostes
A nice summary of what sarko thinks of minorities
http://www.dailymotion.com:80/zorradevallecas/video/x16b26_sarkozy
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