The great promise for next summer's tax reform should be to sum zero

If Nicolas Sarkozy intends to implement the reforms until the end of its mandate, they should not cost the State budget. What has not been the case since 2007. The law on labour, employment and purchasing power (Tepa), if it will never be reached 15 billion euros of spending denounced by the opposition (the total is around 7.5 billion), had a contra-cyclical effect during the crisis but has contributed to public finances plunged. The tax credit research and especially of business tax reforms were also weighed heavy: gain for businesses related to business tax will be cruising speed, between 4 and 5 billion. The carbon tax should conversely fill the State coffers (close to 2 billion) but it has been abandoned.

The context is now in the fight against the deficit, the France being committed to the return of 7.7 to 6 of GDP in 2011, then 3 in 2013. "The absolute priority of my Government will be the fight against deficits," said François Fillon, yesterday, the National Assembly. This means compliance with stringent 2011 budget on the evolution of the expenditure, and the stress goes beyond since Parliament endorsed in the Act of programming the appropriations for the departments for 2012 and 2013.

A perilous 2012 budget

On the side of revenues, reduction of fiscal and social niches in 2011 should continue in the 2012 budget. The latter is also considered as dangerous, because the Executive will receive no "mechanical effects" of the deficit reduction (end of stimulus measures, tax revenue rebound). "The maintenance of François Fillon in Matignon guarantees that it will not return to the budgetary arbitration just be taken", welcomed a leader of the majority.

The great promise for next summer's tax reform should be to sum zero. And as the removal of the tax Shield will save "only" 700 million, it means that the decrease of the weight of the tax of solidarity on fortune (worth about 4 billion) will have to be offset by increases of taxes on the income of the heritage or on the income of the rich activity. Similarly, the intention of improving the competitiveness of the France will hardly go through net reductions in withdrawals.

To reduce the cost of the work without increasing the deficit, there is a solution advocated by some in the majority: a reduction of payroll taxes offset by an increase of VAT ('social VAT"). The Prime Minister also announced yesterday, "reflection on social security and social security financing", without specifying the calendar.

Social VAT: "not an option".

But the risk to initiate a reform reducing the purchasing power of households to the approach of the presidential election is important. Matignon, it also indicates that the return of social VAT "is not an option considered. However, a new reform of health insurance (perimeter of decision-making support, particularly) could be launched to correct accounts.

Priority Government Fillon III intends to give employment should also be made with a reduced budget. The 2011 employment budget is net down to what will actually spent this year. Finally, the prudence of the Elysee Palace on the calendar of the reform of dependence (see page 3) is also explained by the absence of financial margins of manoeuvre.