First Declaration & Tax Residency (France-Korea Treaty).

Start with JARI.

Your first tax return in France is a tricky moment for a Korean: am I a tax resident here or in Korea? Do I have to declare my Korean income? How does the treaty between the two countries work? A mistake can lead to double taxation or a tax adjustment. JARI's Professional Services analyze your situation, determine your tax residency, and secure your first return.

Are you a French tax resident?

You're considered a French tax resident if any one of these criteria is met:

• your household (spouse, children) is in France;
• your main place of stay is here (generally more than 183 days a year);
• your main professional activity is here;
• the center of your economic interests is located here.

If you're a resident, you declare all your worldwide income in France, including income earned in Korea.

The France-Korea tax treaty.

To prevent the same income being taxed twice, the tax treaty between France and Korea allocates the right to tax by income type (salaries, pensions, rental income, dividends…). Depending on the case, France applies either an exemption or a tax credit equal to the tax already paid in Korea. This is the key mechanism for not paying twice.

When to file your first return.

You file the year after you settle in, during the spring campaign (April to June). Even if you arrived mid-year, you declare the income earned since settling in France (and possibly earlier income depending on your situation).

How to file the first time.

1. If you don't yet have a tax number, you can file on paper (form 2042) the first year, or request the creation of your account on impots.gouv.fr.
2. Declare your French income and, where relevant, your foreign income on form 2047, then carry it over to the 2042.
3. State your family situation and your arrival date.
4. Keep all supporting documents (employment contract, Korean tax notices, etc.).

Income earned in Korea.

Korean rental income, dividends, pensions, an early-year Korean salary… must in principle be reported, even if not taxed in France, because they can affect your tax rate (effective rate). The treaty specifies the treatment of each category — this is the most technical point.

The most common pitfalls.

• Assuming you have "nothing to declare" because the income comes from Korea.
• Forgetting to declare a bank account held abroad (obligation to report foreign accounts, under penalty of a fine).
• Getting your residency status wrong and suffering double taxation.

Get support.

Tax residency, the France-Korea treaty, foreign accounts, form 2047: the first return is where mistakes cost the most. Have it analyzed by JARI's Professional Services to start on solid ground and avoid any adjustment.

Going further.

Understand the overall system with Understanding taxes in France, the method to file your income, and how withholding tax works.

Useful links.

• impots.gouv.fr
• Fiscalité internationale — impots.gouv.fr
• service-public.fr

Foreign accounts: form 3916.

Every French tax resident must declare each account opened, held or closed abroad — including your Korean accounts (bank, Toss, Kakao Pay) and your crypto-asset accounts — using form 3916 / 3916-bis attached to the return. Failure is heavily penalised: €1,500 per undeclared account (up to €10,000 for a non-cooperative country). It's one of the most expensive oversights for Koreans — handle it from year one.