"David Lisnard calls for a decrease in taxation, arguing it's hurting taxpayers dearly"
Hitting a Taxation Dead End?
The latest suggested contribution by François Rebsamen, the Minister of Territorial Planning, proposes a small fee for local authorities. However, this initiative didn't sit well with Prime Minister François Bayrou and Minister of Economy Eric Lombard. Not everyone is on board with this idea, as evidenced by David Lisnard, President of the Mayors of France. Lisnard finds the proposal to be senseless.
According to Le Parisien, Lisnard articulated that additional taxes are unimaginable at this point. He emphasized that France already holds the world record for mandatory deductions, taxes, and charges. Lisnard's argument is that economies and revenues are frequently mixed up, with taxes mistakenly equated with economies.
The idea of taxing local authorities more seems counterproductive to Lisnard, who emphasizes the growing resistance from citizens to taxes—a sentiment particularly strong considering that 10% of taxpayers now account for 72% of taxes in France.
Controversy Over a New Housing Tax
Is it Time to Trim Public Expenditure Drastically?
Lisnard advocates for significant cuts in public expenditure. He argues that powers have been devolved from local authorities to the central government, making the existing system ineffective. However, François Bayrou is working towards finding 40 billion euros in savings by increasing spending, which Lisnard finds perplexing. Every day, he laments, brings a new costly regulation.
Lisnard maintains that the majority of expenses stem from social concerns, the state, and then local authorities, implying that other solutions must be explored. The government will likely consider alternative measures, as public sentiment opposes further tax increases.
However, debate around the equitable distribution of taxation and municipal autonomy continues. Senate President Gérard Larcher argues that Rebsamen's suggestion fails to align with the government's position, pointing out the inequity in taxing property owners for local services while tenants enjoy the benefits without contributing directly[1][2].
Beyond Rebsamen's Proposal
Potential alternatives to Rebsamen's proposal include broadening the tax base to share the burden more evenly between property owners and tenants, eliminating inefficient taxes, and implementing targeted fiscal reforms aimed at addressing regional disparities[1].
These debates underscore the challenges in balancing municipal autonomy with equitable taxation, with concerns about overburdening property owners remaining a significant issue within the taxation discourse[1][2].
[1] Enrichment Data: Court of Auditors recommends abolishing low-yield taxes to streamline revenue collection.[2] Enrichment Data: Senate President Gérard Larcher criticizes Rebsamen's proposal for perpetuating equity issues and for avoiding transparent addressing of funding gaps.[3] Enrichment Data: Disagreement within the government on the legitimacy of Rebsamen's proposal.
- The latest policy proposal by François Rebsamen, the Minister of Territorial Planning, suggests a small fee for local authorities, a suggestion that has sparked controversy, with David Lisnard, President of the Mayors of France, finding it unthinkable and senseless.
- Lisnard, in his argument against the proposed fee, points to the world record France already holds for mandatory deductions, taxes, and charges, emphasizing that economies and revenues are frequently mixed up with taxes being mistakenly equated with economies.
- As Lisnard advocates for significant cuts in public expenditure, he finds the push for finding 40 billion euros in savings by increasing spending perplexing, especially in light of the growing resistance from citizens to taxes, with 10% of taxpayers now accounting for 72% of taxes in France.
- The debate around the equitable distribution of taxation and municipal autonomy continues, with concerns about overburdening property owners persisting, as potential alternatives such as broadening the tax base and implementing targeted fiscal reforms aimed at addressing regional disparities are considered.
