A number of fiscal measures take effect from tomorrow. Most important for taxpayers is the introduction of payment at source of income tax, not unlike the UK PAYE system. For most of the readers living on pensions arising from overseas there will be no change. What may affect some readers is the reduction of social charges for pensioners having less than 2000 euros per month; if there is an amount taken into account for the monthly payments it will be reimbursed by July.
The minimum wage will rise to 10.03 euros per hour gross, giving 1204 euros net per month for a person working 35 hours per week. Workers earning up to 1.3 times the SMIC (minimum wage) will be paid a top up of 90 euros per month if they claim it from the CAF. Given that will concern an extra 1.2 million people prepare for delays at the CAF (our comment not the government's).
Overtime payments will be exempt from tax and social charges in a nod to the gilets jaunes, as with the suspension of the increase in fuel duties and gas prices reduced by 2%.
On the other hand the price of cigarettes will increase as will the price of stamps, a red stamp being 1.05 euros and a green stamp 88 centimes.
There is a heating allowance which will go up by 50 euros to an average of 200 euros. Details of the extra 2 million households affected will be published later.
The environmental measures include a 100 euro per window allowance for double glazing (ndlr watch out for more cold calls); up to 4000 euros for changing a car for a less polluting vehicle for less well off workers using a car for work; the ban on using pesticides by private individuals come into force.
Hearing aid prices will be limited to 1300 euros maximum, with minimum reimbursement up to 300 euros and the maximum charge will be reduced to 950 euros by 2021.
The French exchequer will also introduce special tax measures for the so-called GAFA companies (named for Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple) which make profits from the internet in France whilst being based overseas. Since the EU has opposed a blanket measure it suggests that France has control of its money - something the Brexiteers say is not the case with the UK. Another lie? Sorry for the political point in making this report!
