News Digest: France-US Relations Worsen & French Tax Dates Announced

The French tax authorities have confirmed that the official opening date of the 2025 tax season will be April 10^th. This is the date when the online platform (at impots.gouv.fr) will open, and French tax residents will be able to submit their annual déclaration des revenues (income tax declaration). It’s a crucial date for anyone living in France as all French residents must, by law, file an annual tax return, even if you have no income to declare or have no taxes to pay. In certain circumstances, French property owners may also need to file a tax return in France.

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The official deadlines for submitting your tax return have not yet been confirmed, but they are typically 6-8 weeks after the opening date and will be staggered depending on how you file and where in France you live. The first deadline always applies to paper tax returns only, such as those filing a French tax return for the time. Everyone else will typically file their application online, and three further deadlines will apply: the first for overseas residents or French residents who live in départements 1-19, the second for those who live in départements 20-54, and the third and longest deadline (usually 8 weeks after applications open) for those who live in départements 50-101 or French overseas territories. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

Relations between France and the US have been off to a rocky start since President Trump took office in January, thanks to the US President’s stance on a whole number of political issues, from the Ukraine war and Nato to economic tariffs. While Macron seemed in good spirits while in Washington last month for a press conference with Trump, he’s also doubled down on the need for France and Europe to reduce its dependency on the US, both economically and militarily, in recent weeks.

The latest event to make the headlines was yesterday, when French politician and MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, while criticising the US’ dramatic change of policy regarding the war in Ukraine and widespread cuts on scientific research funding, called on the US to return the Statue of Liberty. While the move was somewhat of a publicity stunt, Glucksmann did drive home an important message: “We’re going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty!’ We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently, you despise it. ” he said, provocatively. (Sidenote: in case you didn’t know, the Statue of Liberty was designed by Frenchman Auguste Bartholdi and gifted to America by France to mark the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence in 1886).

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded, perhaps unsurprisingly, with an equally low blow, saying: “My advice to that unnamed, low-level French politician would be to remind them that it’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now, so they should be very grateful to our great country”.

It’s safe to say that the Statue of Liberty won’t be shipped off to France any time soon.

Last week, we published our guide to the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), and one question that’s come up since regarding British and Irish dual citizens. British and Irish citizens are exempt from the ETA and do not need to apply for the authorisation prior to travelling – however, for this to apply, they must travel using their British or Irish passport.

The question, however, concerns those who, for various reasons, do not have a British or Irish passport – perhaps you’re a dual British-French citizen and haven’t bothered reapplying for a British passport now that you’re settled in France, or perhaps you’ve grown up in France and have British citizenship thanks to your parents, but never applied for a British passport. While you might assume that you could apply for an ETA using your foreign passport, the ETA application form requires the declaration of dual nationality, which consequently voids the application.

If this applies to you, you can find the UK’s official answer here (scroll down to the questions “What are the implications for dual nationals of the UK and an EU

Country?”). Essentially, you have two options: either apply for or renew your British/Irish passport and use that to travel or obtain a ‘certificate of entitlement to the right of abode’ (find out more about that here) that you must present at the border along with your EU passport.

ETA Visa Waiver for the UK: Everything You Need to Know

Finally, don’t forget to sign up for our next free webinar, when I’ll be joined by Fabien Pelissier of Fab Expat to answer your questions! Send your questions on French long-stay visas, carte de séjours, health insurance, and anything else related to visas and residency in France to at webinar@frenchentree.com.

Register now to secure your place on our free webinar next week!

How to get a French Visa in 2025

Thursday 27th March 2025, 4:00 pm London  / 5:00 pm Paris