Understanding the French Tax System

IFI only taxes real estate, not your savings or pensions — and new arrivals get a 5-year holiday on everything outside France. Here's exactly how it works.

France uses a sliding scale of five income tax bands — similar to the UK's basic, higher, and additional rates, but calculated on your whole household, not individually. Here's exactly how the 2026 rates work.

Income tax and social charges are calculated separately — but you want to know the one number that actually leaves your pocket. Here's a full worked example across five real UK expat scenarios.

Your RFR affects healthcare charges, CAF eligibility, and property tax thresholds — not just your tax bill. Here's exactly where to find it and why it matters more than people realise.

Every item of UK income on your French tax return must be converted to euros — but there's no single official rate. Here's which rate to use, when the average is acceptable, and the mistake that inflates your bill.

French tax returns feel enormous until you break them into three steps. Here's how to Plan, Map, and File without missing anything or paying more than you owe.

The French tax system has two separate charges, taxed on your worldwide income, and calculates everything on a household basis — not individually. Here's what you need to understand before you touch a single form.

Married, PACS'd, single parent, or with children? See exactly how many household shares (parts) you get and how they cut your French income tax — with worked examples for 2026.

Social charges on investment income rose in 2026, the flat tax hit 31.4%, and the 10% pension deduction was nearly abolished. Here's every change that affects UK expats filing in 2026.

Most expats think days-in-France is the whole test. It isn't. Here are the four domestic tests that actually determine French tax residency — and the treaty tie-breaker that can override them.

Online filing is the default in France — but paper remains a legal option for specific situations. This guide covers who can file on paper, the 2026 deadlines for each zone, where to get the forms, and the automatic declaration trap that catches people out.

Before you can file a French tax return, you need a numéro fiscal. This guide explains the two ways to get one, what Form 2043 is actually for, and what Brexit changed for UK nationals.

Plain-English definitions of the French tax terms UK expats encounter most — from Avis d'Impôt to taux effectif. No jargon, no waffle, just what each term means and why it matters.

Moved to France in 2025? This is your first French tax return — and the rules are different for arrivals. Here's what you must declare, which forms apply, and the obligations most people miss.