From the latest on French inheritance rules to common concerns about moving to France and the surprises that await once you get here, here’s our latest newsletter for Americans in France and those planning a move.
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Welcome to The Local’s “Americans in France” newsletter for members, featuring all the news and practical information you need as an American resident, visitor or second-home owner in France. You can sign up to receive it directly to your inbox before we publish it online via the link below.
Dear Americans in France,
I am writing to you in the aftermath of this year’s sweaty, lively Fête de la Musique. These days, it feels synonymous with France, but the popular street music festival was actually invented by an American.
In the 1970s, American musician Joel Cohen came up with the idea while working as a music producer for French National Radio (France Musique). He proposed two days full of music to celebrate the solstices. Eventually, the June festival caught on; people weren’t as keen to celebrate the shortest day of the year in December.
This year, the street music festival went ahead despite the boiling heat, though public authorities banned alcohol consumption on the street during the festivities in departments under the heatwave’s red alert (although the ban didn’t seem to be well observed).
Normally, drinking in public is not an issue in France, which came as a surprise when I first moved. People picnicking along the Seine in Paris don’t bother with coozies or brown paper bags to disguise alcoholic beverages. No one bats an eye at an open bottle of wine.
I had a few other culture shocks when I first moved to France. The lack of air conditioning surprised me, as did the general resistance to air conditioning.
But the one thing that constantly amazes me is how much more user-friendly France’s free online tax system is compared with the IRS’s free online tools.
This year, I was proud to have completed my US taxes the old-fashioned way (downloading the forms from the IRS website and mailing them in). After years of filing as a non-resident citizen, I’ve gotten used to the pattern of the 1040, Schedule 1 and 2555 (foreign earned income exclusion). Despite my relatively uncomplicated tax situation, it took hours to verify that I’d ticked the right boxes, compared with the 30 minutes it takes to file my French déclaration.
Still, for many Americans looking to move, France’s reputation as a ‘high tax’ country is often a dissuading factor.
It is true that France consistently tops the charts for having the most highly taxed citizens in Europe, but for people moving here, it’s all about tax treaties, as well as income streams. American retirees are particularly well served by the US-France tax treaty, which has been dubbed “the bees’ knees for retirees”.
We’ve broken down what to expect in terms of French taxes.
My last week or so has been consumed with inheritance law, thankfully in the theoretical sense. The European Commission recently announced plans to close its investigation into complaints that France had violated EU law with its inheritance rules.
This matters because foreigners living in France, according to a European directive known as Brussels IV, are supposed to be allowed to elect the succession law of their home country.
However, in 2021, France passed legislation that created a right for disinherited children to make a claim on the French portion of the estate, even if their parent(s) had opted for a non-French will.
Since then, several complaints have been brought to the European Commission, arguing that France’s 2021 law (specifically Article 913, paragraph 3 of the Civil Code) of forced heirship violated European law.
Fast forward to June, and the European Commission sent out a pre-closure letter stating that they have investigated the matter, and they are satisfied with France’s response, which makes an exception for ‘Anglo-Saxon law’ (you can read the exact wording here).
France’s response has raised questions for legal experts, particularly concerning whether Article 913 should be enforced for American wills. While the situation remains unclear, here’s how the experts are interpreting it. Interested parties have until early July to send comments to the European Commission.
While estate planning is understandably one of the biggest concerns for people moving to France, we looked at people’s other fears, from visa issues to language learning and crime.
READ ALSO: Taxes, language and crime – Your questions answered on moving to France
Jennifer Parrette, a French resident of over 10 years, had some comforting advice. For Americans looking to move here, or in the early stages of life in France, she said: “It’s much easier than you think – and a less expensive place to live – contrary to what you might hear.
“Look and listen – slow down – take a moment to understand what is really happening, what you might really need, or how to ask for help. The cultural norms about how to approach people are much gentler and less direct than in the US.”
And if you have any other thoughts on life in France, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to send us your questions or tips for fellow Americans via our ongoing survey.
À la prochaine.
