Nearly 2 million French people received twice the inflation compensation of 100 euros. An additional cost of 170 million euros for the State, of which just under 800,000 euros were reimbursed. Will the General Directorate of Public Finances (DGFiP) demand a restitution of the inflation compensation from all beneficiaries who received it twice?
Exceptional aid of 100 euros pays 38 million people, earning less than 2000 euros net per month, in order to preserve their purchasing power in the face of the sharp rise in energy costs. This is the principle of the inflation compensation paid last year at a cost estimated at 3.8 billion euros for the state.
But according to a reference from the Court of Auditors published on Wednesday, this bonus of 100 euros which was only to be received once by each beneficiary was distributed in duplicate to approximately 1.7 million people, for an undisclosed amount of around 170 million eurosaccording to the magistrates.
And for good reason. The government had planned that the inflation compensation would be paid in one go, by the organizations most naturally linked to the beneficiaries, in order to guarantee this payment quickly and in a simple manner (example: employers for employees and public officials, social security funds). pensions for withdrawals, Ple emploi for job seekers, CNAF for beneficiaries of RSA or AAH, etc.), recalls the Court of Auditors.
Risk of multiple payments
However, the very design of the inflation bonus system exposed the risk of multiple payments since the same person falling under several statuses simultaneously (employee, self-employed worker, beneficiary of social benefits, student, etc.) was de facto responsible to several organizations. payers (employer, social security funds, etc.), continues the Court of Auditors.
A side effect of which the Minister of the Economy was well aware as soon as the announcement of the implementation of the inflation compensation in fall 2021 was announced. It indicated that people likely to receive two inflation bonuses were exposed to a recovery in the tax authorities in the event of an audit.
In the decree establishing the inflation compensation, it was notably indicated that the beneficiary of an undue sum had to repay it to the tax authorities, even though nothing was provided to inform him of the fact that he was able to receive, through error, multiple aids, notes the Court of Auditors.
0.5% of duplicates refunded
On this voluntary and spontaneous basis, only 791,500 euros were recovered by the tax authorities, or approximately 0.5% of the amount of estimated duplicates. The tax authorities have also informed the Court of Auditors that they will not put in place recovery procedures… given the low unit amount of the inflation compensation.
In other words, people who have received the inflation bonus twice can either voluntarily repay it to the tax authorities via this form, or do nothing. If this is the case, they face no sanction.
To prevent the situation from recurring, the Court of Auditors recommends that the State give a single national body responsibility for managing a similar system. François Ecalle, public finance specialist, and former magistrate of the Court of Auditors, estimated that the system put in place was a gas factory!