France, Alternative Libertaire AL #235 - Taxation: bluff "big bang tax" (fr, pt)

Jean-Marc Ayrault announced in November a tax revolution. Already promised by candidate 
Hollande, the reform is bound to be emptied of all content to please the powerful. ---- In 
an interview with newspaper Les Echos , November 18, Jean-Marc Ayrault said: "The time is 
ripe for an overhaul, seamlessly, our tax system." This announcement, however, risk of 
spritz. As Le Parisien wrote on 13 December, "Jean-Marc Ayrault (...) saw his big bang tax 
reduced to a trickle by the Head of State." What remains to the agenda? "Side households 
Elysee evokes tax loopholes and a possible broadening of the base of the CSG (general 
social contribution) based on income. And business side, a possible overhaul of the 
corporate tax, a cleaning scrub 150 levies on businesses, or the headache of financing 
reform Medicare."

But no question of touching the facts companies such as competitive employment tax credit 
(CICE) gifts and research tax credit (CIR). And Holland insisted that reform should 
necessarily be accompanied by a reduction in public spending.

Magic of tax loopholes

The bourgeoisie yet protests since the election of Holland against the income tax, called 
confiscatory. What is it really? VAT, excise tax, does not apply to savings, his effective 
tax rate is much lower than the high income " It represents 20% of disposable income for 
households in the first decile (the 10% smaller) and only 9% for those in the lowest 
decile (the 10% most affluent). "( Le Monde , 29 November). Or VAT and other indirect 
taxes weigh much heavier (over 170 billion) direct taxes. As for local taxation - which is 
about 120 billion - it is not proportional to income.

Finally, tax and social niches - 120 billion - are reserved for those who have made ??a 
significant savings, " Earn 60,000 euros per year and not pay an income tax dime. A 
miracle? An error of tax? No, the magic of tax loopholes. "( Le Monde , 29 November). And 
these "investments" can not only reduce taxes, but to generate additional revenue.

Confiscatory taxes

This is not the solidarity tax on wealth, political symbol, which represents only 1% of 
gross state changing anything to the situation revenues. For cons, the family quotient, 
supposed to be at the service of a family policy, especially a major interest for the 10% 
richest households that consume a third of the benefit. " ? In the end, the difference 
between the tax burden at the level of the minimum wage and the last decile [10% richest] 
is just five points. Tax becomes even strongly declining by 1% of the richest population ? 
"( Le Monde , 29 November). In reality this so-called confiscatory taxation requires 
proportionally more smicard es the high bourgeoisie.

Finally, concerning the corporate income tax, it is amusing to note, that without 
derogations tailor measures for them, multinationals have their effective tax rate on 
their results reduced by half compared to SMEs rate ...

In a year and a half, the Ayrault government has never put anything out that could harm 
the interests of the capitalists. He will not call into question either an advantage that 
the rich tax system.

Jacques Dubart (AL Agen)