The pool hunt is on. But already, the tax authorities are considering tracking down other undeclared assets that could inflate public revenue. “We are particularly targeting house extensions, such as verandas for example, list Antoine Magnant, the deputy director general of the Directorate General of Public Finances (DGFiP). But we have to be sure that the software will be able to find buildings with large footprints and not the doghouse or the children’s cabin. »
For the moment, the software set up to identify the swimming pools is struggling to find the extensions seriously. How to be sure that a black, rectangular spot, seen from the sky, is an enlargement and not a tarpaulin placed on the ground, a tent or even a terrace? Internally, the agents who had access to the software believe that the errors are still too high. On the management side, we recognize that it must be improved and then tested to, perhaps, give rise to an experiment within a few months.
Also look for ruins that shouldn’t be taxed
Beyond the extensions, the tax authorities also intend to call to order by this process unscrupulous taxpayers who have not declared a large garden shed, a car box or even a pergola. Are they really taxable? Yes, as long as they are permanently fixed to the ground. For example, if you have simply installed a pergola on your terrace, you will not be taxed for property tax. But if it is fixed with very large screws or if you have cemented it at the level of the feet, the agents of the DGFiP will be entitled to hold you accountable.
“If we experiment with this second stage of research, it will also allow us to verify that abandoned buildings are no longer taxed, underlines Antoine Magnant. In many places in France you have sets with a house and two or three ruined buildings around it that are in the name of the owners. We will also ensure that certain taxpayers are not taxed by mistake. »