\n France\u2019s summer holidays enter their second month this week, meaning there are a few things you need to know.\n <\/p>\n
Monday<\/strong><\/p>\n Tax rebates<\/strong> – the tax office this year began issuing refunds to those who had overpaid on their taxes on Friday, July 25th, and these payments will continue this week. Around 15 million households are expected to receive a rebate<\/a> into their bank account this week.<\/p>\n Budget discussions<\/strong> – parliament is now officially in recess for the summer, but prime minister Fran\u00e7ois Bayrou says he will not take a holiday this year and will instead work through the summer trying to persuade opposition groups to back his \u20ac40-billion cost-cutting budget.<\/p>\n READ ALSO<\/strong>: OPINION: Bayrou’s budget has infuriated everyone and may force France into fresh elections\u270e<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Friday<\/strong><\/p>\n Utility bills \u2013<\/b> VAT on the the fixed part of households\u2019 electricity and gas bills will increase from 5.5 percent to 20 percent on August 1st, in line with an EU directive requiring that inseparable elements of the same good or service \u2013 in this case the subscription and the consumption of electricity \u2013 are subject to the same VAT rate.<\/p>\n Savings \u2013<\/b> Bad news for holders of popular small savings account, the Livret A. Six months after interest rates dropped from 3 percent to 2.4 percent, they are set to fall again \u2013 to 1.7 percent \u2013 on August 1st. Rates for the Livret d\u2019\u00e9pargne populaire (LEP) will also fall, from 3.5 percent to 2.7 percent.<\/p>\n Travel trouble\u00a0 \u2013<\/b> It\u2019s the start of the worst weekend of the summer on France\u2019s roads \u2013 the dreaded \u2018crossover\u2019 weekend, when the July holidaymakers return and the August ones set out.<\/p>\n Roads watchdog Bison Fut\u00e9 has flagged every weekend in August as having \u2018very difficult\u2019 or \u2018extremely difficult\u2019 conditions on the country\u2019s roads as holidaymakers head out \u2013 and home.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Strikes \u2013 <\/b>Compounding possible August travel difficulties, rail union Sud Rail has filed an open-ended strike notice until September 1st, although they say they\u2019re planning weekend-long or 2-3 day strikes on dates which are yet to be announced.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, employees of Vinci, one of the companies that runs the French motorway network, have filed strike notices covering the summer holiday period, especially on the A8 in southern France. Vinci says that drivers should not be impacted – more details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n