Pay your income taxes

Pay your income taxes

Last update4 nov. 2022

What is it?

Taxes are used to finance all public services : local authorities, health insurance, unemployment insurance, pensions, doctors, medicines, armies, social housings, education...

Each year, the tax is taken from your salary, pension, unemployment insurance or bank account if you don't have one of the first three.

Please note : Since 2019, taxes are " withheld at source ": this means that they are taken directly from the salary before the money reaches the bank account : you do not have to do anything to pay it.

Who is it for?

Location

France entière

Age required
More than 18 years
Location

France entière

Age required
More than 18 years

What to do?

1

Understand the tax filing process and schedule

The tax department needs to calculate how much you will pay, for this you need to "declare" all the money you received in an official declaration.

You must make a single tax return per tax household: if you are married or PACSé and/or if you have dependent children, all the money received must be in the same declaration.

Good to know: An adult child (over 18) who does not live with his parents must file an individual tax return.
An adult child who is studying can be attached to the tax household of his parents until he is 25 years old.

The calendar is the same each year:

  • in the spring, between April and June, you declare the income of the previous year (the year ended). This declaration makes it possible to calculate the taxes that you will pay.
  • in the summer, between July and August, you receive your income tax notice . This is the " regularization" : the calculation between what you have already paid (deducted at source) and what you still have to pay, or what will be refunded if you have paid too much.

Good to know: Withdrawal and reimbursement are automatic from the bank account, you have nothing to do.

2

Declare your income

The declaration must be made online.

Good to know: You can complete and send the declaration on paper only if you do not have internet at home or if you cannot travel to a space with a computer connected to the internet. You receive the document in April by email. If you haven't received anything and this is your first report, you can download the form here.

If this is the first time you are declaring your income:

  • You must apply for a "tax number" on the tax site here. This tax number is a personal number to identify you.
  • Click on :
    - You are special,
    - Your request concerns access to your private space and your online services,
    - About a difficulty to create your particular space,
    - I don't have any tax number.

If you have already declared your income:

  • You must connect to impots.gouv.fr using your tax number or your France Connect account and fill in the requested information.

>> To read: the Refugees.info sheet " Connecting to a site with France Connect "

  • The declaration is generally already pre-filled, that is to say that companies, temporary work agencies, Pôle emploi, etc. have already sent the information directly to the tax department.
    Check if everything is correct: for employees and temporary workers, look at the "net taxable amount" at the bottom of the payslip for December of the previous year (the year that ended).
    Add missing information if the administration has forgotten elements.
3

Return your declaration before the due date

The due date of your declaration changes every year - generally towards the end of May/beginning of June. It will be written on your declaration, and in the media. You will benefit from more time if you do the declaration online and not on paper.

Please note: you risk paying more tax if you send your declaration late!

4

Receive your tax notice

You will receive (by email if you sent the declaration on paper, or on your personal space if you made the declaration on the internet) a very important document called "tax notice".

You have to download it and keep it with you, even if you don't have taxes to pay.
Many administrations use this document to take the steps (for allowances from the CAF, to obtain social housing, etc.).

5


Pay your tax

Throughout the year, income tax will be deducted directly from the monthly salary. The amount is indicated on the pay slip.

Good to know:

Please note that only income tax is deducted at source, for other taxes such as housing tax, you have a deadline (indicated on the tax notice you receive) to pay this expense.

And after?

Fill in or check your tax return each year

You must therefore complete or verify your tax return each year. You must also report the following changes in your family situation as soon as they happen to you (because they can modify your withholding tax rate): marriage (or PACS), divorce (or termination of the PACS), death of your spouse or PACS partner, or birth of a child.

You will then have to log on to your impots.gouv account, under the heading “Manage my withholding tax” and update this data!

Change the withholding tax rate

The withholding tax rate is the percentage (%) of your income taken directly from your salary.
It is calculated by the tax department according to your situation and appears in your personal space on impots.gouv.fr , under the heading "Manage my withholding tax".

You have the possibility to change it with 2 options:

  • If there is a big difference in income between the 2 people in a tax household, the withholding rate can be individualized (each person with a different rate) instead of the single rate (same rate for both people). The rates are calculated by the tax department.
  • If you are an employee and you do not want to communicate your individualized deduction rate to your employer, you can choose a "neutral" rate (= not personalized). The tax department then calculates the difference during the adjustment.

Good to know: If you do not wish to change your direct debit rate, you have no action to take on your particular space.
The tax department will calculate and use it automatically.

Contact the tax department

If you have any questions, you can call the tax information service on 0809 401 401.
Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (except during bank holidays).

Good to know: Before calling, take your tax number next to you. It will be asked to find your file and give you a precise answer.

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