On Thursday, November 7, the National Assembly adopted a tax on superdividends from very large companies. These socialist, “rebel”, communist and environmentalist amendments were widely adopted (145 votes in favor, 37 against), thanks to the sum of the votes of the left and the National Group (RN), compared to those of the government.
This additional tax affects companies that have a turnover greater than or equal to one billion euros and that distribute dividends 20% higher than the average of the dividends distributed during the previous five years. The fraction that exceeds this 20% will be taxed at 5%.
According to the socialists, this tax aims “the large companies that have benefited from the succession of crises” and continued “pay dividends at record levels”citing in particular “BNP Paribas, Sanofi, Axa, LVMH or Total”. super dividends “they only serve to inflate financial bubbles and enrich a few”defended the deputy Aurélien Le Coq (La France insoumise) during the debates.
Macronist deputy Pierre Cazeneuve deplored a measure that could penalize shareholders and French companies in a globalized system. Companies “They will pay more dividends to ensure the same return to their shareholders and therefore they will invest less”producing “exactly the opposite”He also begged.
Amendments “incompatible with the euro”
The rapporteur of the general budget, Charles de Courson, issued an unfavorable opinion, arguing that a similar measure adopted in 2017 had been annulled after, in particular, an appeal to the European Court of Justice: “These amendments are incompatible with the euro, we can regret it” but, “if you vote for it, it will happen again” the same.
A risk for which the “rebels” say they are prepared: “we assume disobedience” towards the European Union, said Eric Coquerel during a press conference. The president (LFI) of the finance committee incidentally alleged the fact that “address the hundreds of billions [d’euros] of the surplus accumulated by capital » since the election of Emmanuel Macron in 2017.
In the same sense, the deputies also adopted an amendment to the LFI aimed at making the payment of the research tax credit (CIR) conditional on the prohibition, for a company, of relocating its activities for ten years.
At the beginning of the afternoon, the Assembly voted to exempt the premises of recognized public utility associations that work in the social field from property tax. An amendment approved by the Socialist Party (PS), against government advice. Green light also for the extension of the tax on commercial premises to giant warehouses, with the e-commerce sector in the spotlight. Previously, several tax measures had been approved that encouraged agricultural companies to adopt more sustainable operating systems.
