Speaking to “Parisien”, the Minister of Communities, Catherine Vautrin, approves the idea of “making everyone responsible for the importance of the cost” of local public services, and wants to open the debate in 2025.
Goodbye housing tax… hello “citizen contribution to public service”? In an interview with Parisianpublished Friday, the minister in charge of communities, Catherine Vautrin, excludes the reestablishment of the local tax definitively abolished in 2023. In the same interview, however, the minister envisages the creation of a new «participation» linked “about living in the town or village”.
“There will be no return to housing tax on main residences”declares Catherine Vautrin. On the other hand, “we need to think about possible participation in living in the city or village. There is nothing free”. The minister judges “not ridiculous” the title “citizen contribution to public service”proposed by the Association of Mayors of France, and approves the idea of “make everyone responsible for the importance of the cost” of these public services.
Dissatisfied local communities
The project will not be included in the draft budget for 2025, currently being debated in Parliament, specifies Catherine Vautrin. It refers to a “consultation with local elected officials in early 2025”, and says he wants to ensure that the overall rate of compulsory deductions “does not increase”. An alchemy whose details – basis, public concerned, difference with the old housing tax, etc. – are unclear at this stage.
These declarations come as local authorities express their dissatisfaction with the effort expected of them in the draft budget for 2025. Through various cuts, they will see their overall resources decrease by 6.5 billion euros next year. The subject should animate the next Mayors' Hall, from November 19 to 21 in Paris, and the examination of the finance bill (PLF) in the Senate, Chamber of Territories, from November 25.
LFI amendment to restore the housing tax for the richest 20% of households
Denounced as an unfair tax by Emmanuel Macron, the housing tax was gradually eliminated between 2018 and 2023, to the great dismay of local elected officials. In 2017, for its last full year, it brought in 22.3 billion, of which 15.2 went to the municipalities. Despite compensation for the underpayment by the State, and the increase in property tax that has since occurred in many municipalities, elected officials continue to regret the defunct tax and denounce the decline in their resources.
“The big mistake of the five-year term was the abolition of the housing tax. […] If we have to recreate a tax, it's this one. estimated the LR mayor of Meaux, Jean-François Copé, on LCI. Before qualifying Tuesday on Franceinfo: “We should imagine another form of tax”, “a tax on residence” who would come “cancel the existence of the property tax and the old housing tax”and who “would concern everyone except the most modest“. On the left, LFI MP David Guiraud tabled an amendment as part of the budget review in order to restore the housing tax on main residences for the 20% of the richest households.
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