One of our French freinds has informed us that he has heard that the french authorities are getting really miffed at Brits working illegaly and as part of a big clampdown (i.e trying to get more money into the government coffers) they are starting to use the internet to check on businesses and individuals suspected of working or operating on the black (i.e not officialy registered). Apparently a team of english speakers are even looking in on forums and checking web sites to try and find businesses and people offering services in France and then checking whether they are officialy registered (which is actualy quite simple). He said that if they find peopl;e and businesses that are not registered they will be prosecuted and will recieve a non negotiable demand for back payment of taxes and cottisation charges for all the years they have not paid into the system. The chap said that the back payments will be assesed against the period the business or person has been operating in France.

I have also read of others mentioning this type of thing happening on another forum. Has anyone else heard anything like this happening. We told him that it does not really bother us as we are fully registered and legit but it does sound a bit "Big Brother is watching" ish :o .

Rgds, Mike L

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"Life is not a rehearsal"

Yes Mike, I have heard of this.
Some time ago a whole lot of English people resident in France and working on the black were "caught" by the French authorities and sent back to the UK.
This was near Poitiers, I believe.

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"Friday's child is loving and giving"

Yes I have heard this too, they even buy the anglo french magasines to see who is advertising.

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Horseybird; unpaid Horseball groom in Normandie.

I believe that there are expat Brits in Brittany making a career out of shopping other Brits who are working on the black :!:

With regards to people advertising for work on forums and websites, the site owners should be doing everything they can to ensure people are registered but people will always slip through the net. I think some British based sites and magazines turn a blind eye to the fact that people should be registered as they just want to pocket the advertising fees.

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Never smile at a crocodile...