French tax for pilots based abroad.
 

Hi guys

I'm trying to figure out where a pilot working for a british company, based in Germany, living in France is supposed to pay his tax. :confused:

There were a few posts about this topic a couple of years ago (at least, they're the ones I found). In essence, the law was that employees involved in international transport were taxable in the country where their company was based. Which meant a pilot employed by a british airline for example wouldn't have to pay tax in France.

However some of the posters wrote that the law was about to change. Could anyone share info about this? The search on the french forum didn't give me much results so any help would be greatly appreciated!

I would choose to pay it in france. They have a good benefits system if things go wrong for you, and you get big allowances against earnings for every night you spend outside of France. All negotiated for you by the Air France pilots union. Win Win.

Surely it is an international norm that you file your tax return in your country of residence. What tax you then pay and to whom then becomes a potential argumentative subject. You can find out some more about it all here.

Impots.gouv.fr

The French are quite amusing from time to time. I think you will find that, if you have ever joined the French health service, you are a resident of France as far as the financial authorities are concerned because you have no right to join the French healthcare system unless you are a resident of France.

ALTYRE

It is not a subject with which to mess & I speak with considerable experience. The law with regard to pilots living in Fance has indeed changed. It is a waste of time listening to half baked solutions on a forum. Go, see a properly qualified tax lawyer in the country in which you live and take his advice and if you don't like it, go see another tax lawyer. At least you have the advantage of French lawers being cheaper than the UK. Residency is the main thing that matters with regard to tax. Domicile is much lower down & infinitely more difficult to prove.

I could suggest that you rent/buy your apartment/castle in your wife/girlfriends name, lay low, & pay bugger all anywhere. . . however, my argument that we are all being royally screwed by politicians in any of the 3 countries you mentioned will undoubtedly be shouted down by the indignant do- gooders who fail to see themselves being shafted royally on a daily basis. . . what, indeed, to say ? ?

I know plenty of pilots in your situation living and working in Europe and claiming back almost 100% of income tax paid in the UK. You just tell your home authority you have paid tax in the UK, but because you never/hardly enter the country you can claim it all back year end, except I think some NI payments. Something to do with a double taxation agreement :hmm:

According to spanish law, you pay income taxes if you are a resident, that is, you live in Spain half of the year plus one day. If you don't you are not subject to this tax, except in some cases of embassy workers and similar.

Check the first pages of the french income tax law to find who is subject to that tax and who is not. there you will find if you have to pay in France or not. If you do, which I suspect, then you could claim any taxes paid in UK.

Guys be careful with the whole taxes issue this days, the crisis is making the madafakas do anything to get more money from us, and putting us fines is the best way, because "I didn't know..." is not an excuse for them.

Altyre, as you work for a UK company and have your residence in France you have to comply with the double taxation agreement between France and the UK. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/international/france.pdf