What does the Bayrou government want to do?

The proposed tax on high incomes that François Bayrou plans to implement is not yet completely defined. If the principle is adopted, one thing is certain, the future system cannot be identical to the system proposed by the Barnier team due to the principle of prohibiting tax retroactivity.

François Bayrou confirmed, Thursday, December 16, the maintenance of the proposed tax on high incomes, even if it is difficult to know at this stage what this tax will look like. For the moment it is not very clear. The Prime Minister confirmed the inclusion, in the 2025 budget, of a tax targeting the wealthiest households. This system, inspired by that proposed by Michel Barnier, would concern taxpayers with annual income greater than 250,000 euros for a single person and 500,000 euros for a couple, or around 25,000 households. This initiative aims to meet the expectations of the left in terms of tax justice.

The government cannot adopt the system proposed by the Barnier team as is, because it would risk censorship by the Constitutional Council, in particular because of the principle of prohibiting tax retroactivity. The challenge is therefore to design a system allowing the taxpayers concerned to estimate their income for 2025 and to pay a deposit, which can be adjusted subsequently.

François Bayrou insists on the lasting nature of this tax, which will not be a simple temporary device, but a lasting measure to combat tax optimization, also included in the 2026 budget. This tax should generate two billion euros in annual revenue. .

The government's objective is to establish a tax net guaranteeing a minimum tax of 20% for the wealthiest households. This measure specifically targets capital income, such as dividends, capital gains or other non-wage income. Currently, this income is subject to a “flat tax” of 30%, made up of 17% social security contributions and only 12% income tax. Increasing income tax to 20% for these incomes would be equivalent to raising the flat tax to 37%.