Is it possible to spread French income tax payments across the year?

Reader Question: This year I am required to pay my income tax in four payments in the last four months of the year. Is there any way to spread this out over the whole year, as with taxe foncière?

The issue of ‘spreading out’ income tax over the year to help with cash flow was one reason that France brought in tax at source a few years ago. 

This is taken directly from French salaries and pensions. 

Otherwise, with regular income that France cannot tax directly, such as foreign pensions or rents, the tax office may take regular instalments of estimated amounts from a person’s bank account.

Once the full declaration has been made for the year they may still have more to pay, or may obtain a refund, depending on their actual income received.

 You can see if deductions are being made via your account at impots.gouv.fr under Prélèvement à la source. 

Current instalments are shown under Gérer vos acomptes, and previous ones under Consulter l’historique de tous vos prélèvements.

Read more: Is it aways possible to correct an error in French tax income declaration?

It is possible if you experience a big drop or increase in income partway through the year to notify this via Actualiser suite à une hausse ou une baisse de vos revenus, to request an adjustment to instalments.

Any income tax still payable after your declaration is due either in September, if equal to or less than €300, or spread over the last four months of the year.

If you cannot pay, it is advisable to contact your tax office as soon as possible, for example by private message on the website, giving reasons for your difficulty. They will sometimes agree to give more time to pay, called un délai de paiement.