What could be more powerful than tax and social fraud to address the middle classes in a context of public finances under pressure? Almost a year after presenting, in May 2023, its plan to fight against “all frauds” as Minister Delegate in charge of public accounts, Gabriel Attal, named Prime Minister in the meantime, returned to Bercy to present with his successor, Thomas Cazenave, a progress report on this project, to which he had attached his name as much as ‘to that on school rhythms in national education.
“Fraud claims 70 million victimshe recalled, Wednesday March 20, in the conference room on the seventh floor of the Bercy ministers’ hotel. It is also a hidden tax on middle-class French people, who work and respect the rules. »
To the eminently political nature of tax and social fraud is now added an imperative to restore public finances. “We prefer to increase the pressure on fraudsters rather than increase taxes on the French, the Prime Minister immediately clarified. It’s more difficult, it’s perhaps slower, it’s undoubtedly less visible, but it’s fairer. »
Toughening of sanctions
The results of the plan are in his eyes “historical”, even if he had not set numerical objectives. In 2023, the tax administration collected a record 15.2 billion euros, or 600 million more than in 2022, while the number of tax searches increased by 30%. Tax audits on the highest incomes increased by 25%, and nearly 230,000 regularizations took place, representing 6 billion euros in late payment duties and interest.
“There have never been so many cancellations of penalties for good faith”welcomed Mr. Attal who, a year ago, wanted to distinguish the “fraud of the powerful” errors ” in good faith “ small taxpayers. The promised recruitments, while the tax administration has seen its workforce decline continuously for at least fifteen years, have been launched, with 281 agents hired in 2023, and 350 in 2024.
The 2024 budget also saw a tightening of sanctions: the judge can now deprive fraudsters of their tax credits, and prosecute those who incite fraud on social networks. Finally, the tax intelligence unit dedicated to serious and complex fraud must be operational at 1er next July. As for the thorny task of assessing fraud, entrusted to a committee of experts, it should be completed before the summer.
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