# Living in France and working for the UK based employer



## Kate86 (Sep 9, 2021)

Hi everyone, 
I wonder if anybody here is living in France while working for a UK employer?
I am considering moving to South of France while keeping my UK job since I only need to be in the office occasionally and our children can benefit from warmer climate.
My main question is how it will impact household after tax income? May be someone is in a similar situation and can share experience. My husband will initially stay in London ( his company is looking to relocate later), two kids should move with me to France. Will I pay income tax based on household income, but my husband pay tax in UK? 

Any advice is highly appreciated!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Doing things the way you're proposing is going to make things complicated at best in this new post-Brexit landscape.

First of all, you'll need visas for the whole family unless either you or your husband have EU nationality. And the type of visa you qualify for will determine whether or not you can work from France as you are planning to do. Back when the UK was part of the EU, the situation was tricky but at least somewhat more manageable. 

There is also the little matter that France taxes couples on a "household" basis - i.e. normally husband and wife are taxed as a household unit. There are ways to declare income separately if living apart, but it can get messy. Plus, there are the French rules for determining where one is "tax resident" - which are vastly simpler, but much more "inclusive" than the very complex and detailed criteria used by the UK tax authority. It is possible that both countries could wind up claiming your husband as a tax resident based on different criteria. 

The main "issue" will be the social insurances. You're considered to be working in France if you are doing work while physically present in France. And if you are working in France, then you need to be registered with and contributing to the French "cotisation" system (i.e. social insurances - including health care, retirement, unemployment and misc. other national benefits). There are a number of ways to handle this - from "contracting" for your UK employer (involving setting up a business that would bill your "employer" for your services) to having your UK employer register as a French employer with no physical presence in France.


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