Hautes-Pyrénées – Haute-Garonne – A bug on the vacant housing tax creates tensions

Hautes-Pyrénées – Haute-Garonne – A bug on the vacant housing tax creates tensions
Hautes-Pyrénées – Haute-Garonne – A bug on the vacant housing tax creates tensions

The CGT Public Finances of Hautes-Pyrénées and Haute-Garonne launched an alert a few days ago on the new IT disaster which impacts taxpayers throughout the territory and in turn the agents of the Personal Tax Services (SIP ), who are responsible for processing complaints and the legitimate discontent caused by this new dysfunction.

The CGT Finances Publiques of Hautes-Pyrénées and Haute-Garonne recently sounded the alarm about a computer bug which is impacting taxpayers across the country, while putting a strain on Tax Service agents Individuals (SIP). The latter must manage a wave of complaints and discontent caused by this dysfunction.

Many households have had the unpleasant surprise of receiving tax notices in recent days for one of the taxes on vacant housing, even though they rent their property or are the occupants themselves. This error may concern the tax on vacant housing (TLV), applicable in nearly 3,700 municipalities in 2024 due to tensions in the housing market, or the housing tax on vacant premises (THLV), voted locally by certain municipalities not eligible for TLV. In 2024, 6,417 municipalities applied this last surcharge.

In the Hautes-Pyrénées: errors reported

In the Hautes-Pyrénées, the problem is confirmed by the CGT Finances Publiques. “Users are increasingly asked to be involved in their taxation, by updating their data themselves: if their accommodation is vacant, its surface area… This is part of a profound reform, but the software used does not work correctly,” laments José Navarro.

Some municipalities, such as , Lourdes or Bagnères-de-Bigorre, have opted for the implementation of the THLV. However, a problem in data processing led to a sharp increase in the number of taxpayers affected, well beyond reality. “Since November 15, individuals have received tax notices of €500, 600, even €700, even though the accommodation is occupied or the owners themselves reside there,” he adds.

In the department, around 500 people would be affected, according to initial estimates. This situation generated a massive influx of complaints: more than 1,200 contact requests, 80% of which related to this tax. “We warned of the risks of this poorly prepared reform and its faulty software. Users are penalized, and agents are subject to considerable work overload,” concludes José Navarro.

Municipal revenues at stake

This dysfunction also affects local finances. For example, the number of taxpayers subject to this tax has increased:

– in Tarbes, from 1,489 in 2023 to 1,844 in 2024;

– at Lourdes, from 249 to 401;

– in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, from 265 to 339.

The expected tax revenues therefore increased artificially: in Tarbes, they were to increase from 1.19 million euros to 1.61 million, in Bagnères-de-Bigorre from €143,000 to €189,000, and in Lourdes from 94,500 € to €175,570. However, with the ongoing rectifications, these amounts will ultimately not be reached.

José Navarro underlines: “Local authorities, already weakened by the drop in state allocations, were counting on this revenue to balance their budgets. This computer problem worsens their situation. »

In Haute-Garonne: saturated services

In Haute-Garonne, tax services are facing an explosion of requests:

– 2,170 messages received at the Administrative City of ;

– 1,300 in Toulouse Mirail;

– 430 in ;

– 540 in Saint-Alban;

– 812 in .

National contact centers and local services are overwhelmed by calls, and physical reception centers are struggling to absorb the flow of disgruntled taxpayers.

The CGT Finances Publiques recalls that it had alerted general management in February 2023, during the working group on the future of SIPs, of the risks linked to a rushed implementation of the new tools. “This fiasco is the result of decades of disinvestment in jobs and IT. Today, it is the agents, already understaffed, who are experiencing these dysfunctions,” declares the union.

The context is all the more tense as a further reduction of 730 positions was announced for January 2025, in contradiction with the commitments made in the “Framework of objectives and means” presented in 2023.

This crisis highlights the challenges of a modernized, but poorly supported, tax system and the repercussions on users and public officials.

The municipalities concerned in the Hautes-Pyrénées

In addition to Tarbes, Lourdes and Bagnères-de-Bigorre, this concerns in the Hautes-Pyrénées, the municipalities of Arcizac-Adour, Arrens-Marsous, Azereix, Barlest, Beaudéan, Bernadets-Dessus, Esterre, Estirac, Frechendets, Hèches, Lanne , Lombres, Lortet, Loubajac, Saint-Paul, Saint-Pé de Bigorre, Séméac, Sombrun, Tournay and Trie sur Baïse.

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