If Emmanuel Macron insists that taxes have gone down since 2017, that is not the sentiment shared by the majority of French people. According to an Elabe survey for The echoes and the Montaigne Institute, 58% of respondents believe that taxes have increased since 2017. This is 16 points more since May. Une très forte hausse sans doute liée à un effet calendrier puisque les premiers de taxe foncière ont été envoyés fin août, avec une addition souvent salée pour les proprietaires, tandis que les contributorables ont commencé fin septembre à régler le solde de l’impôt sur income.
In detail, a third of respondents (34%, +12 points) believe that taxes have increased “a lot” in the last six years, 24% (+4) have the feeling that they have increased “a little” and 21% (-8%) remained stable. Only 20% (-8%) say it has decreased, including 18% “a little” and 2% “a lot.”
This feeling of increasing fiscal pressure is observed in all socio-professional categories, in all age groups and in all voters, including that of Emmanuel Macron (29%, +16).
The French believe that taxpayers’ money is being misappropriated
If half of French people (51%) believe that it is justified to pay taxes to finance public services, this proportion has decreased seven points since May. Respondents mainly deplore the functioning of the tax system and the way taxpayers’ money is used. A large majority of them believe that public authorities do not fight sufficiently against tax fraud (82%, +4) and social fraud (78%, +2).
More than one in 10 respondents (81%, +3) also believe that the amount of taxes is not well used by public authorities and 76% consider that the French tax system does not allow the redistribution of wealth between different categories of the population. . Finally, 54% continue to oppose the generalization of the income tax to all households.
Increase spending on health, safety and education.
While the recovery of public finances has become a priority for the government in a context of sudden rise in interest rates, 56% of French people ask as a priority for an “exceptional contribution” from the richest to reduce the debt. 54% also suggest reducing public spending through reforms, and 49% maintain that economic growth will contribute to this in the coming years. Finally, one in five French people (21%) cite a “tax increase for companies” and 7% for individuals as a proposal to reduce spending.
However, according to the French, some expenses should not be reduced. On the contrary. For half of those surveyed (51%), the government should prioritize increasing public spending in the health sector, ahead of security (37%) and education (36), pensions (24%), the environment (22%), dependency. /old age (16%) and justice (16%).
On the contrary, the French demand less spending on family allowances (36%), unemployment benefits (28%), digital technology (27%) and culture (23%). Finally, 16% of respondents believe that none of the areas should suffer a reduction in spending.
Source: BFM TV
