Consultant & coach GJBramer +33698157431

If you used to ask me when I would stop working, my answer was that it depended on whether I would still enjoy working. Now that is the case but I have decided to retire anyway, except for some volunteer work.

When I came to live in France I was amazed at the amount of undeclared work and now, after 5 years, I understand that just fine.

Besides the amount of tax I have to pay, even for an office I don't have (on top of the general property tax) I pay more every year for social charges and if you have a question you simply don't get an answer or maybe only after months.

Even now that I am retiring I have to plunge into some kind of black hole that is called INPI France and that agency does not answer the phone, disconnect or answer by mail or otherwise. Apparently I have to keep paying for the huge administrative inconvenience and all the unemployment in this country.

I live here just fine, have gained nice neighbors and a whole gang of acquaintances. As long as you stay far away from government agencies everything is fine. Incidentally, this thought is also shared by French people to whom I tell this.