17 Comments
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Avram Butch Kaplan's avatar

I do like the tax set up as compared to Canada !!!

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Roberto and Carolyn's avatar

What's different from Canada that you like?

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Avram Butch Kaplan's avatar

Canada wants a peice of all income including the pension and social security

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Jeff's avatar

By strange coincidence I was reading this just yesterday: https://frugalvagabond.com/retire-early-in-france-without-all-the-tax/

We've been thinking about Spain as our long term destination, but because of the tax benefits maybe we need to consider France instead?

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Roberto and Carolyn's avatar

I don't really know enough about the tax status in Spain to compare. I'll check out your link - thanks for sharing!

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Roberto and Carolyn's avatar

Okay following up on the post you linked to. That's good information - it was probably not the author's intention, but it reads a little like an encouragement to pursue a 0% global tax burden, which I find distasteful. People should be paying taxes and contributing to the communities they live in.

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Jeff's avatar

I agree - I think it's just to pay tax to the authority where you reside and are getting the benefits. On the other hand, citizen based taxation (looking at you USA...) kind of sucks.

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eileen pestorius's avatar

The Danes pay the highest taxes, but repeatedly vote to keep things that way and they repeatedly are listed at the top of the "happiest" list! One Dane cheerfully told me that they pay for three cars, and then the government lets them keep one of them! No medical or school bills for anyone.

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Trudy's avatar

Seriously, it’s not the white shirt, although she’s rocking it. It’s the Mona Lisa smile.

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Jane's avatar

When I was looking at long stay visa leading to residency info I thought it said that you have to be present in France for 10 months out of each year to have it count toward residency, am I misunderstanding this?

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Boucrih's avatar

normally the rule is:" more than 6 month in France"

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F62?lang=en

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Jane's avatar

This page is blocked for me. I’m in US.

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Roberto and Carolyn's avatar

I haven't heard 10 months from anyone. Are you asking about tax residency or becoming a legal permanent resident in France?

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Jane's avatar

This is what I was looking at (the EU permanent resident one, second in list in link below), maybe it’s different from what you are talking about? I read on the Kind and Gentle moving to France page that you can be out a total of 10 months in 5 years, which is about 2 months a year so I started investigating. I think maybe the Brits have a different arrangement from Brexit agreement. Here’s the link, I’m continuing to investigate. https://www.expatica.com/fr/moving/visas/permanent-residence-in-france-436940/

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Jane's avatar

This is what I found so far on The Local. Wish I could see what the commenter below who says 6 months is linking to but 🤷🏻‍♀️. Hey I could be totally incorrect so I will keep looking. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240215/explained-what-exactly-is-frances-carte-de-resident

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Roberto and Carolyn's avatar

I believe your rules are different than ours, although in both cases it will be up to the French to decide where your "home base" is. We were talking about how long it takes to need to pay taxes in France, not how to be considered a resident.

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Earl's avatar

The VLs-T (temporaire) is NOT the right visa if you want to stay. You need to leave at the end and it is NOT reneeable.

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