What is the French Television Tax?

This tax was ended in 2022

In France, the television tax is also called the ‘contribution à l’audiovisuel public’ or the “la redevance audiovisuelle’ it is tax used to fund the main public television channels in France – France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5, and Arte.

At the time of writing (May 2013)  the fee is 125 euros and is revised annually, surprisingly it has never gone down only up.

The French television tax is requested to paid each year when you receive from the government of France your demand for payment of the ‘taxe d’habitation’. On this bill will see the audiovisual tax itemized separately.

Who is liable to pay this French television license tax?

There are a number of reasons why some people can be exempt from this tax. At this time one of the reasons is related to your income. You will need to consult with your local French tax office to find out the details of current exemption rules.

Be aware of this ‘surprise tax’ as we know plenty of people who don’t have TV who got a big surprise when they got this request for payment of tax.

Note:  It appears that the government of France is going to cancel this tax in 2022. Look for an update here on the French Government website 

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