2023-09-27 15:37:00
Like every year, autumn marks the start of a bitter parliamentary battle which will occupy the government, deputies and senators for many weeks. The 2024 finance bill (PLF) was presented this Wednesday, September 27, to the Council of Ministers. A few minutes earlier, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, accompanied by his Minister for Public Accounts Thomas Cazenave, described it as “the first step in an ambitious recovery trajectory” of our public accounts. But what exactly does this bill contain? Here are the five points to remember.
After having spent a total of 36.8 billion euros to help households cope with the rise in the price of gas and electricity, it is time to tighten our belts a little, the government tells us. The gradual end of the tariff shield – already implemented for gas, in progress for electricity – and aid to businesses will save 10 and 4.5 billion euros respectively. But a fuel check of 100 euros per vehicle for the most modest households who use their car to go to work – 430 million – will on the other hand be put in place to help them cope with the rise in the price of gasoline and diesel. An envelope of 25 billion will also be allocated for the indexation to inflation of social benefits, social minima, pensions and income tax.
A priori, the figure is impressive: around 16 billion savings are planned for this year. When we look in detail, 14.5 billion comes from the end of temporary anti-inflation measures. And for the rest ? It is the employment and professional training policy which is called upon (- 1 billion), while the reform of unemployment insurance (- 700 million) should bear fruit. Conversely, increases are planned for the sovereign (4.8 billion), National Education (3.9 billion) or the Ecological Transition (7 billion).
Although Medef may have reared up, part of the reduction in CVAE (contribution on the added value of companies) has been postponed until better days: only 1 billion euros will be eliminated this year. The tax advantage for non-road diesel will be removed, while a new tax on motorways and airports will be put in place and should bring in 600 million euros. The penalty on polluting vehicles will also increase. The tax on plane tickets was, however, not retained, and the possible tightening of taxation on furnished tourist accommodation such as AirBnB is referred to the discussion in Parliament.
“Alongside the financial debt, we have an ecological debt”: these words are not those of an environmental activist, but of the Minister of Public Accounts Thomas Cazenave during the presentation of the 2024 budget. Some 1.6 billion d Additional euros will be devoted to renovating French homes – notably with an increase in the budget of the much-maligned MaPrimeRénov; 600 million will be devoted to the renovation of state buildings. A green fund will also be created to support local authorities – and help them renovate schools – to the tune of 500 million euros. Finally, 200 million euros will be devoted to greening the vehicle fleet.
There is one subject on which the government is awaiting additional proposals from other parliamentary forces: the fight against tax and social fraud. Even if he has already sharpened his own weapons. The tax administration’s means of investigation will be expanded, the legal arsenal to combat VAT fraud will be supplemented and the possibility of depriving a fraudster of his right to benefit from tax credits will be created.
In terms of the social sphere, the objective is to double the adjusted amounts by the end of the five-year term – from 0.8 billion in 2022 to 1.5 billion in 2027. Measures will be put in place to combat under-declaration digital platform workers. Fraudsters, on the healthcare professional side, will also suffer: Health Insurance will be able to cancel its coverage of their contributions if they are caught red-handed. Convenient sick leave is also in the government’s sights: in teleconsultation, sick leave cannot exceed three days.
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