How to fill in new french property form and why it is causing problems

It appears the NEW MANDATORY TAX FORM FOR PROPERTY OWNERS is causing headaches for homeowners… and the French authorities. The Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) helplines

have been “saturated” by people asking questions about it. Damien Robinet, national secretary of Solidaires finances publiques union, told Capital there were a “huge number of questions

coming in from users”. In the Loir-et-Cher department there are 2,000 online messages about the form that still have to be answered, added a union source. But DGFiP has denied the proportion

of calls about the form - which has to be submitted by June 30, 2023 - is anything unusual. ‘HUGE BACKLOG’ _The Connexion _spoke to Frederic Lecot, a member of the Solidaires finances

publiques union, who confirmed what colleague Mr Robinet told _Capital_. “The e-contact system is necessary for users to ask questions… but it is difficult to calibrate it with other tasks.

It interrupts the workflow, and there’s no time [dedicated to it]” he said. One of the reasons so many online demands are being made is that the information given on forms is sometimes

outdated. For some people, the form is simply a case of confirming the information already held by the tax services, but if the information stated is incorrect, they can ask a question by

clicking the J’ai une question sur le descriptive de mon bien immobilier button. “We have a lot of questions about [the] information [listed for properties] that is no longer up to date,”

said Frédéric Scalbert, union member of the CGT Finances publiques branch, told Capital. Information held on properties that homeowners believe to be wrong – such as the size in m² of the

property, or the omission of an addition such as a swimming pool or garage – is based on data from many different administrative departments that are lagging due to labour shortages, unions

added. In some cases, such as for the land registry service, information updates are months behind schedule, leading many homeowners to have incorrect information listed for their

properties, forcing them to submit an online e-contact message. All of this is leading to worries from the union about the feasibility of responding to all the demands in time. “As there is

a huge backlog, we will not be able to respond to everyone by June 30,” warned Mr Robinet. READ MORE: DECLARING FRENCH PROPERTY: EXEMPTIONS, RENTS, JOINT OWNERS, COMMERCIAL WHY SO MANY

QUESTIONS? WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON? Aside from the huge volume of people who need to fill in the form – remember, EVERYONE (main and second-home owners) who owns a property in France needs

to complete it – the fact that it is new and unfamiliar only adds to its capacity to confuse. The form can also only be completed digitally or over the phone, with no paper version

available, causing frustration for those who live in areas with a poor internet connection or who lack online skills. For some, the form will be as simple as confirming the information

already held, and will only take a few minutes. In many cases, however, there will be more information to give, or information may not be up-to-date, and users will have to manually make

adjustments to the information. On top of this, some of the information given is not as straightforward as it first appears, which could lead you to think there is a discrepancy when in fact

the information is correct. For example, the size of the property is measured using the ‘surface réelle’, meaning it is bigger than the m² listed on estate agent advertisements, which may

be what you are familiar with for your house. _The Connexion _has written several articles about the form, which you can find here: A BASIC, STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO FILLING OUT THE FORM This

is a guide to help you complete the form online. If you are calling from France, it is possible to complete the form via telephone by contacting 0809 401 401. For those who prefer to

complete the declaration digitally, or who are currently outside of France and are unable to telephone, follow the steps below to complete the form. STEP ONE: Go to

HTTPS://WWW.IMPOTS.GOUV.FR/ACCUEIL, and click on “_votre espace particulier_”. If you are the owner of a property under an SCI, you need to click on “_votre espace professional_” and then

“_Démarches_”, then the “Gérer mes biens immobiliers”. STEP TWO: Log into the space using your _numéro fiscal _and password. If you do not have a _numéro fiscal_, read our guide HERE about

how to get one. STEP THREE: Click on the “_biens immobiliers_” section. STEP FOUR: From here, you should be able to access the property information the tax authorities have on all of the

properties you own. Click the "consult" button to see what information they hold on you. STEP FIVE: To begin the declaration, click "déclaration d'occupation". If

the information that appears is correct, you choose "_aucun changement_". You then double-check the information before clicking "_valider et transmettre_". If you need to

go back, hit the "_précédent_" button. If everything is correct and you have clicked “_valider et transmettre_”, then you have completed the form for this property and nothing

else needs to be done. STEP SIX: If you need to declare new details or change existing ones, choose “_déclarer_”. STEP SEVEN: You are then taken through a series of screens. What you see

will depend on your individual situation but could include the registered owners of the property; the occupants (whether it is occupied as a primary residence, occupied as a second home,

vacant,_ occupé à titre gratuit_ or rented); and details of the occupants (name, date of birth etc). Make the necessary changes where required, or use the prompt to submit a question to the

tax authorities. Once you are happy with the submission, you can choose "valider et transmettre". After this, the form is completed, and you will not have to give any further

information. _Do you have any unanswered questions about the tax form? Have you been able to complete it without any problems? Did you need to ask a question, and was it responded to

promptly? Please let us know via [email protected]_ RELATED ARTICLES TAX DECLARATION FORMS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO SOME FRENCH HOMES FIVE MUSTS WHEN YOU FILL OUT YOUR FRENCH TAX RETURN