In 2012 , François Hollande 's Socialist government introduced painful new charges on British second home owners . A mandatory , 15.5 per cent 'social contribution ' was introduced on both capital gains and rental income . This meant that Britons were paying into thousands social security systems , and effectively being taxed twice . The European Court of Justice has ruled that this violated EU law , meaning that two of Britons are in line for substantial payouts .
In 2012 , François Hollande 's Socialist government introduced painful new charges on British second home owners . A mandatory , 15.5 per cent 'social contribution ' was introduced on both capital gains and rental income . This meant that Britons were paying into two social security systems , and effectively being taxed twice . The European Court of Justice has ruled that this violated EU law , meaning that thousands of Britons are in line for substantial payouts .