It’s that time of year when French accountants have closed their offices, put do-not-disturb autoresponders in their email inboxes, and have fled town to relax. Tax season is over. I never expected to write so much about taxes on this … Continue reading
Taxes and Finances
Normalizing Your Tax Contributions in France
I’ve written about taxes numerous times over the years but I don’t think I’ve ever talked about what happens after you file them here in France. As 2020 winds to an end, it’s as good a time as any to … Continue reading
Firing Société Générale
One of the earliest articles for this blog was about my experience getting my first French bank account at Société Générale. The process was relatively painless, but that was before FATCA came into force and made life more challenging for … Continue reading
Yes, You Should Get a French Bank Account
A friend recently wrote an account of her experience getting a bank account in France and it reminded me to do an update of my various thoughts on this topic beyond my first time getting a personal account, a business … Continue reading
French and US Taxes
This was the year I finally found my rhythm filing in two countries. I did my US business taxes in March, my US personal taxes in April (though I needed some French income estimates to complete them), my French business … Continue reading
Troubleshooting: Branchless Bank Accounts
Article updated July 2022 for accuracy. Some time ago I was sitting with some friends and the conversation turned to banks and bank fees. Both of my friends shared how much they hated “establishment” banks and described with relish how … Continue reading
You Have to File Taxes as a Fiscal Resident of France
So in France you receive a tax bill for the current year based on what you were assessed the previous year. You then pay that bill in payments so that by the time that year’s taxes are due, you will ostensibly be … Continue reading
Taxes and Wise
I recently had the opportunity to meet with one of the readers of the blog over lunch. We discussed some of his strategies for staying in France but since he had just recently arrived I asked him to check with … Continue reading
Getting a Bank Debit Card in France
It’s actually not that hard to get a bank account in France. What’s hard is getting your debit card. To open an account, stop in at your local bank of choice (I chose Société Générale because it was and is … Continue reading