In order to preserve the purchasing power of employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of restaurant vouchers was extended for food shopping in 2022. From now on, the government wishes to extend this system until 2026. A maneuver which could be penalizing for many French people.
“The meal voucher (Restaurant ticket, Lunch voucher, Restaurant pass, etc.) is a payment voucher which allows the employee to pay for their meal, if they do not have a company canteen or restaurant. The provision of meal vouchers is not an obligation for the employer,” explains the public service on its website. In addition to paying for meals, it is also possible to finance purchases in supermarkets using restaurant vouchers. Moreover, on November 20, the National Assembly voted in favor of an extension until 2026 of this exemption which allows you to pay for purchases in supermarkets using restaurant vouchers.
However, this measure absolutely does not please the National Commission for Meal Vouchers (CNTR), the organization which manages this system. “If the meal voucher is a little diverted from its purpose, there is the risk that the Court of Auditors will reconsider the tax exemption” from which it benefits, Jean-Michel Rousseau, vice-president of the CNTR. Indeed, the organization explains that meal vouchers represent “a pillar for employment”. According to INSEE data, this system supports more than 75,000 jobs in the catering sector.
The CNTR and Umih are against extending the use of restaurant vouchers to supermarkets
If the tax exemption is removed, thousands of jobs could disappear. According to the CNTR, around 40,000 jobs are directly threatened. Restaurant vouchers represent “a significant source of revenue for the State, which collects around 3 billion euros per year via VAT, social and employer contributions, as well as corporate and income taxes… After deduction of the specific exemptions granted, the net benefit for the State is estimated at 845 million euros per year”, details a study which is based on figures from the CNTR and INSEE.
The CNTR is not the only organization to point out this exemption which allows you to pay for your food purchases using restaurant vouchers. The Umih (employers' organization of the catering sector) estimates the losses suffered by restaurateurs as a result of this maneuver at “576 million euros”. For its part, the Federation of Commerce and Distribution is pleading in favor of this exemption which should be extended until 2026.
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