The Ministers of Finance and Budget presented to the government Thursday their roadmap to the withholding tax on income, a journey full of pitfalls, but must be “irreversible”. “Irreversible”, Finance Minister Michel Sapin has only this word in his mouth when he talks about the introduction in France of this withholding, practiced in almost all developed countries. “Irreversible”, the reform of tax collection has all the more better be that no one knows what majority is in power on 1 January 2018, when President Francois Hollande promised that the withholding tax would “fully effective”.
Far from eliminating the tax return, the tax at source could make it unavoidable, and not necessarily easy to fill, see what is happening in ‘other countries. “Beware of simplifications that suggests that because there is a withholding tax, there is no return”, recently put in custody Finance Minister Michel Sapin.
Like today, the French will have to report to the tax authorities situations that give rise to a tax reduction. Perception of capital income, employment of a housekeeper, child care expenses … The list is particularly long in a country champion “niches” tax: France has more than 400, counting households and businesses. The life of the French taxpayer, who has access to internet pre-filled statements, and payment in monthly installments, so will not necessarily be easy.
What will change radically by cons, besides the fact that ‘income tax can be adapted in real time to any change in circumstances of the taxpayer, what is the meaning of the statement, where the French make it a day to pay the IRS, they will make an in future in the hope of getting money. Like the Americans, Germans, Swedes, in short, the overwhelming majority of developed countries, which collect the tax at source, and where this system is somehow office savings “forced”.
Collect money
In the United States, 112.9 million was repaid to taxpayers by the tax authorities in 2012, out of a total 140.9 million returns, according to latest figures available. In Norway, 2.7 million taxpayers will share this year’s € 3.45 billion of repayments. In the other direction, on the contrary 800,000 will have to pay 1.7 billion euros more. In Germany, it is not unusual to recover 1,000 to 2,000 euros or more, through the statement.
To hit the jackpot, it is better not to suffer from “administrative phobia,” the term popularized by former Secretary of State Thomas Thévenoud (ex-PS), who had to leave the government in September 2014 after revelations about the non-payment of taxes.
Depending on the country, the taxpayer may claim a higher or lower number of deductions or allowances. Among the classics: childcare expenses, interest paid to a mortgage, university spending. Other deductions are unexpected. So the United States can be reduced its tax by accumulating the kilometers traveled to join his sports association or volunteering activity, but also giving old clothes.
Taxpayers helped
In Germany, to deal with tax legislation among the most complex in the world, and when the use of this software is not enough, it is common to use a tax advisor or “Steuerberater” without these services are the prerogative of very wealthy households. Some ask a lump sum, others a percentage of the sums recovered, for example 10%. Access to this profession requires an examination considered one of the most difficult of Germany, in which a candidate fails on two
The majority of Americans also use professional help. On the 144.9 million returns in 2012, 80.9 million were in need of assistance. What sustains multiple accounting firms, promising juicy “Refunds” long commercials reinforcement during the tax season.
The prospect of higher or lower repayments not always enough to motivate taxpayers. Many Germans to give up such a statement. If the German Ministry of Finance is careful not to give any figures, some financial advisers ensure that the unclaimed amounts represent each year several billion euros.
In Norway 700,000 taxpayers in a country of less than 5.2 million people have not bothered to open the pre-filled statement that was sent to them in March. This is equivalent to a tacit acceptance. In Scandinavian countries, the collection of tax at source is also accompanied by a high degree of transparency. In Sweden, there is such a directory containing tax information of more than 5 million taxpayers, available in a website that last year received 12 million visits.
Unimaginable in France, where the issue of data privacy of employees already raises very serious concerns in the context of a transition to withholding tax.
(With AFP)
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