TAX RETURN. The tax authorities have recognized an error in entering the income of thousands of French people mentioned on the 2023 tax return. Who is concerned, how can you check if you are affected? Here is all the latest info as well as the complete guide to completing your tax return.
[Mis à jour le 5 mai 2023 à 10h31] A few more days to complete your tax return online! The deadlines vary according to the departments but, in any case, it is advisable to spend a little time there so as not to make errors on your declaration to the tax authorities. If the withholding tax has simplified the process, such as the pre-entry of your income, the figures indicated by the tax authorities must be checked scrupulously.
An email sent by the service of taxes May 4, 2023 demonstrates this once again since the tax administration has recognized an error and alerted many taxable households to this lump which can considerably change the amount of tax to be paid. On May 4, 2023, the tax authorities thus sent an email to thousands of French officials “We apologize for this error and invite you to rectify your declaration”, includes this email consulted by Le Parisien. The tax authorities recognize in this email and in an online publication on its website that “erroneous information was found on your pre-filled declaration”.
Who is concerned ? How to correct the declaration?
In fact, it is advisable to check the taxable amount indicated by the tax authorities. Only civil servants are concerned since the administration simply miscalculated the tax exemption ceiling for overtime. However, this increased from 5,000 to 7,500 euros in 2022. Civil servants who worked overtime for more than 5,000 euros annually (and less than 7,500 euros) therefore saw the difference be calculated in taxable income by mistake.
The DGFiP specified to West France that “a few tens of thousands of civil servants” would be concerned, a not inconsiderable panel. To verify this, you can already consult the deposit sent on November 28, 2022 to the officials concerned. You can then correct your declaration, in particular by consulting and modifying if necessary the amounts pre-filled in boxes 1AJ or 1BJ “salary and wages” then in boxes 1GH or 1HH corresponding to “exempt overtime”. Check that the amount indicated in 1AJ or ABJ corresponds to that indicated by your employer in the tax certificate that he provided to you. Same thing for the net amount of exempt overtime.
The four new features of the 2023 tax return not to be missed
It’s time to complete your tax return. From April 13 to June 8, depending on your department of residence and the method of declaration chosen (paper, online), you must check the pre-entered information (in the event of automatic declaration) or complete it completely, then return it to the tax. In the event of delay, you expose yourself to financial penalties of up to 40% of the amount of your tax. Please note, this 2023 edition also has its share of surprises, including four main ones. So as not to be surprised, and not to miss out on a good deal, Linternaute.com lists them for you:
- The revaluation of the mileage scale : The revaluation of the mileage scale by 5.4% in 2023 represents a saving of “more than 100 euros for a single person who earns 2,900 euros” according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance to AFP. A significant gain in these times of galloping inflation, and when filling out your tax return, especially concerning your mileage costs related to your professional activity. In total, no less than two million taxpayers would be affected by this revaluation.
- The end of the tv license fee : The tv levy has been definitively abolished within the framework of the purchasing power law aimed at protecting the most modest households in the face of the rise in the cost of living. In 2023, no taxpayer will have to pay this local tax of 138 euros. A refund was made at the end of 2022 according to a very specific schedule, allowing you to obtain the refund according to your situation. You no longer have to check whether it appears on your tax return.
- The increase in the tax credit for child care : In 2023, the ceiling for childcare at home is increased to 3500 euros, therefore a maximum of 1750 euros per child of tax credit (in the event of shared custody, this sum will be shared between the two declarants).
- Declaration for owners : In 2023, each owner (natural or legal person) is now subject to a new reporting obligation. Each property for residential use must be declared to taxes in the space “Manage my property” on the site impots.gouv.fr. This new declaration comes after the abolition of the housing tax for main residences. The objective: to determine the owners still liable for housing tax (secondary residence, rental housing) or tax on vacant housing.
To avoid taking any risks, take care to fill it in correctly and check each information pre-filled by the tax authorities. Some mistakes can cost you dearly. Here is the complete calendar, with the deadlines for completing your declaration and returning it to the tax authorities, department by department.
- May 22, 2023: paper declaration (only if you don’t have an internet connection at home)
- May 25, 2023: departments n° 01 to 19
- June 1, 2023: departments n° 20 to 54
- June 8, 2023 : departments n° 55 to 974/976
The deadlines must not be exceeded under penalty of financial penalty.
For 10 years now, the tax authorities have been responsible for pre-filling your tax return using the information at their disposal such as the amount of your salary, your retirement pension or your unemployment benefits. Proof of its democratization, in 2021, more than 11 million taxpayers had benefited from it. But then, how do you know if you can benefit from this automatic tax return ? It is offered to tax households that were taxed last year solely on income pre-filled by the administration. If you made a online declaration in 2022, an email should be sent to you with the possibility of checking all your information from your private space. On the contrary, if you have declared your income in paper version last year, a letter will be sent to you with the new tax declaration and all the necessary documents presenting this new automatic declaration system.
Attention, despite the practical and extremely up-to-date nature of this service, we advise you to check all the information that the tax authorities have sent you. In the best case, everything is correct, you don’t have to do anything more, your tax return will be automatically validated, that’s the principle. However, it may happen that small typos slip into your declaration, or that certain information must be modified. We naturally think of a tax credit, the declaration of actual expenses or professional expenses such as mileage. If a change is required, you will need to complete and sign your tax return as usual. As a reminder, don’t wait any longer to complete your tax return if you plan to opt for the paper return!
You must declare your income to the tax department each year if you live in France. In 2023, online reporting is mandatory if your home is connected to the internet. Otherwise, you can use a form. You benefit from additional time if you file your declaration online. If your situation has not changed in 2022, you may be exempted from making this declaration, it will be made automatically by the taxes.
In 2023, you can declare your income on paper form if you are in one of the following situations:
- Your main residence does not have internet access
- It is equipped with internet access, but you are not able to make your declaration online
Before signing your declaration, you must check the information provided and, if necessary, correct and complete it. You must attach supporting documents to your paper declaration only if they are documents drawn up by you. We advise you to keep the supporting documents for 3 years in the event of a request from the administration.
To complete your tax return in paper format, the tax authorities provide you with, online at impots.gouv.fr, in PDF format, the Form 2042 basis for declaring your income. You will also find on the site all the additional forms for declaring certain additional income. This document is available from April 6 until April 25, 2023.
From the age of 18, if you are not or no longer attached to your parents’ tax household, you must complete a tax return under certain conditions. You can declare your income on the impots.gouv.fr website if you have received a letter from the tax authorities with the information necessary for the online declaration. In this case, you must create your particular space online with the tax number and the access number provided. Click on “your private space” to create your account and let yourself be guided. You must choose a password and enter a reference tax income equal to “0”.
First of all, don’t rush. Remember to check all the information on your tax return before sending it to the tax authorities! Before the deadline assigned to you, no problem! You can correct as many times as you want your statement. Afterwards, things get complicated. However, the rectification of your online tax return after the deadline for submission will automatically lead to the publication of a new tax notice which will be sent to you after the usual deadlines. You can also correct your declaration online, After receipt at the end of July of your tax notice following the declaration filed and signed before the filing deadline. This possibility of online correction is available in your Private Space on www.impots.gouv.fr from the beginning of August. The correction should also be available from August 2023 for the next tax return. This online correction service is also offered to users who have benefited from automatic reporting.
For a tax return in paper format, you can inform your public finance center (personal tax department), either by post, mentioning only the elements for which you are requesting correction, or by filing a new tax return on paper. Do not forget to indicate on the first page “CORRECTIVE, CANCELED AND REPLACED DECLARATION” and to re-enter all the elements that you must declare, including those of the first declaration which were correct.