"Real estate: the cropped Scellier
"Niches: plane and down the ceiling
"Companies: rising social package
"Other tracks: capital gains on the hot seat
Operation must! The government will this week attempt to convince the financial markets on its ability to control public finances. François Fillon unveiled late Wednesday afternoon in the presence of Baroin and Valerie Pécresse, the Ministers of Economy and Budget, the new conservation measures for France to retain investor confidence and its " AAA. "
The government enters the final stretch trade-offs. François Fillon and Nicolas Sarkozy meet to sort the list of suggestions made last week by Bercy (and amended by the relevant ministries) and begin to remove some tracks.Then the president and prime minister Wednesday to finalize the measures to adopt.
The government did not release the extent of the plan, but it evokes an effort between 5 and 10 billion, and a trend towards the top. The turn of the screw will break down between savings on public spending and further cuts in tax and social niches.
On this last point, the government does not start from scratch. The measures that were passed in the fall (tax on marriages, on the solar panels, niches plane, etc.). Will yield 2.4 billion in 2012. But we'll have to do much more. There is another month, the government did not request such an effort to households and businesses. He planned to take samples of only 3 billion. With 2.4 billion already in the pipeline, the step to take was minimal.But since the degradation of "AAA" rating from the United States, France finds itself under pressure from the markets. Even if it borrows at low levels (2.74% at ten years), a sign of confidence that it continues to generate, France must do everything to protect his note. For if it were lowered, the state should borrow at higher rates. According to the Court of Auditors, an increase of one point would increase the debt burden of $ 2 billion the first year. To prevent a runaway cost of debt, the government should not deviate from its route.
Increase in the social package
Paris has pledged to reduce its public deficit to 5.7% of GDP in 2011 and 4.6% in 2012. This objective was particularly complicated since the Insee reported zero growth in the second quarter. Bercy forecasts an increase of 2% of GDP in 2011 and 2.25% in 2012 now seem too optimistic.On average, economists expect now on a 1.4% growth next year. However, less growth means less tax revenue and more spending for the state, the social security and local authorities. Without necessarily announcing Wednesday a revised its growth forecasts, the government is obliged, if he wants to keep its deficit targets, to take austerity measures …
Increase in the social package for businesses, new plane and lower overall ceiling of niches, penknife devices ultramarine and real estate … the tracks are not lacking. The government also provides measures for the social security system, not to mention taxing very high incomes as suggested on Wednesday, Maurice Levy, president of Publicis and the Association of Private Enterprises (Afep), in an article in Le Monde ."We need efforts that will be requested to the French are fairly distributed," assured the same day Valerie Pécresse on Europe 1. The measures adopted will be included in budget 2012.
France can she get into the spiral of Greece, where budget cuts exacerbate the recession, which in turn widens the gap? A priori not. This year, increases in taxes, resulting from the measures passed in the fall, reached $ 12 billion. Without destabilizing the country.
Real estate: the cropped Scellier
Before the crisis, Bercy was considering reducing benefits. The pressure is greatest.
• Law Scellier
The niche Scellier reduces its tax by investing in rental real estate. It was expected that the tax reduction equal to 22% of the investment in 2011 reaches 18% in 2012.The reduction could fall to 15%.
• Ready to zero +
There are plans to reintroduce a means test for the loan (PTZ), in order to focus on vulnerable households.
• Capital gains on real estate
The capital gain on the sale of a principal residence will remain tax exempt. For other assets, the gain is taxed at 19%, plus 12.3% social. However, there is a reduction (10% per year after five years in prison) that applies to the capital gain and will disappear for undeveloped land for building. It is also the question of decline (eg 5%) for other goods.Another track: the system of reduction of the gain disappears for the payment of social security contributions.
Niches: plane and down the ceiling
The tax loopholes will undergo a new movement of the plane after the last year which affected 22 devices (Scellier, actions overseas, the tax credit for environmental equipment in the house). The rate of tax reduction was reduced by 10%: a rate of 50% was increased to 45%, a rate of 25% to 22% … The measure, however, has yet to be felt, because the first plane applies to the income tax paid in 2012, sitting on the revenues of 2011. The government planned to meet the plane in 2011 (eg 15%) and pass a new tax on plane sitting on the revenues of 2012.
Widely used devices, such as overseas benefits or tax credits for equipment of the house will still be trimmed.MPs want all the niches are planed. Others will disappear. In addition, the overall ceiling of niches, set at 6% of income over 18,000 euros, will be lowered.
Companies: rising social package
Social package, paid by companies on the profit-sharing and employee savings, should be increased from 6% to 8%. Expected gain: 400 million euros. Since its inception in 2009, the government increased the fee by 2 points every year! Systems loss carry-on prior and subsequent, which limit the corporate tax should be reduced. They benefit primarily to large companies but the government wants to rebalance the tax burden with the small. The carry-back would
limited to one year. And to carry forward losses from the profits would be capped.In Germany, the losses charged can not exceed 60% of the profit. However, the idea of limiting the deductibility of loan interest is difficult to implement.
Tax on very wealthy households
The government pledged in the spring to tax high incomes, and a working group must report its findings in the fall. Two tracks are at this stage on the table to non-deductible from corporate income tax payments "extravagant" or create a new tax paid by very wealthy households. The latter option holds the rope in the government because it has the support of parliamentarians. Gilles Carrez, the rapporteur of the budget UMP
in the Assembly, propose to tax at a rate of 1% or 2% revenues exceeding one million euros per year. But Peter wants Méhaignerie the new tax applies from 150,000 euros to 200,000 euros in annual income for a couple.The lively debates ahead!
Other tracks: capital gains on the hot seat
Gilles Carrez wants the taxation of life insurance is carried over the water each year on their earnings potential, while households are now taxed when withdrawn at a variable rate depending on the length of detention ( 7.5% after eight years). Another idea: adjust the taxation of life insurance, whether it is placed in shares or products without risk. The UMP Jérôme Chartier wants to create an additional ceiling on tax loopholes, reducing to 50% of tax due from the advantage of niches. But Bercy is not favorable. Finally, many parliamentarians call for the removal of reliefs on capital gains from stocks and bonds (third year in excess of five years from 2012).