France Services: How to Get Free Advice on Taxes, Health & Benefits

France Services offices are served by a local team of people who are there to help and assist you to navigate many of the official administrative processes required in France.

For example, they can assist with:

• Taxes
• CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie) Health Insurance
• Mutualité Sociale Agricole /Health Insurance for Agricultural workers
• Ministère de la justice
• Caisse d’Allocation Familiale (CAF)
• Pôle-emploi
• Caisse de Retraite
• Ministère de l’intérieur (permis de conduire, carte grise…)

While this is not the place for specialist tax or legal advice, the free service can be a great starting point for any number of general questions, and they will be able to redirect you to the relevant professionals if required.

The Government has pledged that every citizen can contact this service in less than 30 minutes distance of their home. Click here to find the online map of your nearest location. And here is the link to the official government page.

1. Home renovations

One of our friends had read that there was government funding for those on lower incomes to renovate an “ancienne maison”. Lost as to where to start, she contacted France Services and they provided a step by step process as to who to contact, how to proceed and which forms to complete.

2. Les Biens Immobilier

If you are struggling as to how to know which buildings corresponds to which property and whether you are confirming the correct building size, then France Services can help you with this, step by step. Including which forms to complete if you should discover an anomaly and therefore you need to submit changes.

3. Tax return

Why pay someone to do this for you when France Services can accompany you to complete the correct boxes and submit your annual form?

This service is an excellent one-stop-shop. All you need to do, to get the most out of your experience, is to be prepared. Take the relevant paperwork with you to enable the staff to help you.

Bon chance!

From shopping at the supermarket to sending a parcel at Post Office, finding your local dechetterie to who to call in an emergency—FrenchEntrée is here to help with every aspect of day-to-day living in France. Read our Essential Reading guides for advice on living in France, visit our Shopping zone or Pets zone, or brush up your language skills with our handy learning French resources.