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LIVING IN FRANCE

April in France, taxes, and dining out: 6 essential articles for life in France

What changes in France in April, not one but two tax-related articles you need to check out, how much you need to earn to be considered ‘rich’, how to write an ‘attestation sur l’honneur’ … and the trick to gourmet dining on a budget — they’re all in this week’s must-reads from The Local

Published: 31 March 2024 08:00 CEST

April in France, taxes, and dining out: 6 essential articles for life in France

(Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)

From a day off from work and practical jokes to extended café terraces, plus changes for motorists and spring festivals to enjoy – here’s what is happening in France in April.

What changes in France in April 2024

Tax season is approaching in France so here’s our guide to what foreigners in France need to know about the 2024 French tax system – from making your first declaration to claiming tax breaks, via the rules on foreign bank accounts and second homes.

The bumper French tax guide for 2024

Speaking of taxes… From giving to charity to setting up a private pension, hiring a cleaning or childminder, there are lots of things that will earn you a tax break in France – provided you remember to declare them on your annual tax declaration.

10 tax breaks you could benefit from in France

While it is a wealthy country (the 7th largest economy in the world) France is not a particularly high-wage society – so how much money do you need to be considered wealthy by French standards?

How much money do you need to be considered rich in France?

At some point during your time in France, you will likely have to write an ‘attestation sur l’honneur’ – here’s what this document is for and how to write one properly.

How to write a French ‘attestation sur l’honneur’

If you’re feeling fancy and want to splash out on something special you might pick up the Michelin guide to find a restaurant, but did you know that there’s also a listing for restaurants that serve delicious food at lower prices?

‘Bib Gourmand’: Where can you find France’s bargain Michelin-grade restaurants?

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How to avoid the latest text message scam in France

A new text message scam is making the rounds in France, according to French radio channel RMC, citing information from the website signal-arnaques.com.

Many people with French phone numbers have reported receiving an SMS allegedly from a delivery person, telling them that the package they were waiting for “did not fit into the mailbox”.

In French, it may read something like “votre colis est trop gros pour votre boîte aux lettres” or “votre colis ne rentrait pas dans la boite aux lettres“.

READ MORE: What to do if you have fallen victim to a scam in France

Then, the recipient is told to click a link that would give them a time slot to pick up the package (“Merci de choisir un créneau via …”)

The fake link appears to take the recipient to a Mondial Relay or other similar looking package pick-up website, and then the user is expected to enter personal information, including banking details, to arrange a new delivery.

The scam is convincing because it’s similar to the genuine messages – it’s common to get a text message telling you that a parcel has been delivered, or if you are not home the company will contact you to arrange another pick-up time or location.

In order to tell whether the message is a scam, you should verify the delivery rules for the company you are using.

For example, if you scheduled the delivery with Mondial Relay, then the package would not be brought to your home (unless you live outside of France) but rather to a specified relay point or self-service locker.

READ MORE: Warning: 6 of the most common scams in France to watch out for

Other companies, like Chronopost, may deliver to your home, but they include send information to show proof of the order, such as the package number and your name within the text message.

Avoiding scams

This is not the only type of text message scam in France. There are several others, and many of them are related to packages or the postal service.

If you have any concerns about the validity of a text message, you can always consult the signal-arnaques.com website, or the French government site Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr.

Do not click the links provided if you have any doubt about the message. A key giveaway is that the scam sites and emails tend to ask users to pay for services that would normally be free on real sites.

Similarly, pay attention to any notice of an anti-virus notification. If the website popped up with a warning that it may be dangerous to click links or that it may contain a virus, then take additional steps to verify its legitimacy before opening.

RMC reported that one person who clicked the link said: “I received an alert message from Safari saying ‘This connection is not private. This website may be trying to pass itself off as consignesinfos.com in order to obtain your personal or financial information'”.

You can also report scams or illegal content on the internet at Pharos, the government’s official portal for reporting illegal internet content.

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