French tax declaration deadlines approach: how to get help if needed

Deadlines to complete income tax declarations are here, and tax authorities are keen to remind people to file in time.

For those that are having trouble with the declaration the official Service public site is highlighting several avenues of help. 

Below, we look at the options to get advice. 

Contacting the tax services via telephone 

The first recommendation is to telephone the tax authorities for help. 

You can either contact your local tax service – the number for which can be found on tax documents such as your tax returns (avis) – or the national helpline. 

The latter, available by calling 0 809 401 401, is available Monday to Friday between 08:30 and 19:00.

A service for non-residents is also available at +33 1 72 95 20 42, between 09:00 and 16:00 Monday to Friday.

You can ask general questions and seek clarification on individual sections of the declaration, but advisors may not be able to help you with requests specific to your personal circumstances.

Leaving the authorities a ‘secure message’ 

However, you can ask a more specific question using the ‘messagerie sécurisée’ option in your personal space on the French tax site. 

This offers you the chance to leave a specific message that will be read by a tax official, and because it is attached to your account they will have all the information about your return they may need to provide assistance. 

In addition, there will be an electronic trail of the request, helping you prove you asked a question / followed the instructions of an official when completing the task you had trouble with. 

There is one major caveat however, in that it may be too late for authorities to see your request. 

Officials can take several weeks to respond – particularly during busy times – and it is unlikely your query will be answered so close to the deadline, when authorities are likely overwhelmed by the number of declarations. 

It is still worth leaving a query so that you can get an official response and use this for future declarations, but it is unlikely to help you this year. 

If you are unsure of any of the information you have put in your declaration, you can use the mention expresse and inform authorities of your reasoning, to help avoid punishment in the case of error. 

Make an in-person appointment 

Another course of action would be to make an in-person appointment with your local tax office. 

The address for your local tax office can again be found on official documentation sent to you, or you can find it through the French tax website in the ‘Contacts et RDV’ section.

Appointments can be made for an in-person visit to your local office, or to have a video-call with an official. 

Heading to your local France Services centre is also an option as they may be able to help depending on the technicalities of your question. A tax official may also be at the centre. 

Expert help from accountants 

The ‘Âllo Impôt’ service is once again running this year, with an accountant providing free last-minute help. 

The service is running on several days leading up to the main deadlines (May 21, 22, 26, 27, and June 4 and 5). 

You can telephone the service, although in some instances in-person appointments are available. 

Finally, The Connexion offers a practical help guide on income tax declarations in English, that can be purchased here.