With the health crisis and the advent of teleworking, which are pushing the French to spend more time at home, the number of private swimming pools has literally exploded. Since the summer of 2020, swimming pool specialists have been overwhelmed with requests and their turnover has increased by 50% each quarter! According to the Federation of Swimming Pool and Spa Professionals (FPP), there are now more than 3.2 million private swimming pools in France, making it the number one park in Europe, ahead of Italy and Spain. But, if the happy holders of these ornamental ponds pay their invoice to the installers, a certain number of them fail to prevent… the taxes.
They took it badly, because the tax authorities, which set up an experiment last fall in nine departments (Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Bouches-du-Rhône, Haute-Savoie, Maine-et-Loire, Morbihan, Var and Vendée) now flushes out undeclared swimming pools. It uses software developed in partnership with Capgemini, which makes it possible to analyze the views from the satellites and compare them to the cadastre. According to information from Parisianmore 20,300 French people are in the crosshairs and nearly 10 million euros will be recovered with the next property tax.
200 euros on average
Above-ground pools are also covered, as long as they are anchored in the ground (even partially) and require several people to dismantle them. They are then considered as a “building” within the meaning of the civil code and therefore taxable under the property tax (article 1380 of the general tax code).
It is in the Bouches-du-Rhône (13) where the tax authorities pinned the most free riders: 7,244 exactly. The Var (3,809 taxpayers) and the Ardèche (2,575) follow. Depending on the size of the pool, the tax bill is more or less high: 200 euros on average. Fortunately for these tax evaders, the recovery period for the tax administration in terms of property tax is only one year.
But the hunt does not stop there! The hunt for illegal swimming pools will be extended to the whole of France in 2023. In addition, other constructions will be targeted: house extensions, verandas, outbuildings or undeclared garden sheds.