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Compared to one year in 2009 particularly salty on the front of local taxes, the slight increase looming for 2010 seems almost like a lull … "Elected officials have until April 15 to vote on 2010 budget, but many have anticipated the future. My first impression is of limited and moderate increases, "said Philip Lawrence, in right-wing chairman of the Finance Committee at the Association of Mayors of France. Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice, but Pau, Mulhouse, Toulon: many municipalities have opted in 2010 not to raise tax rates and residential property taxes. And the increases are reasonable in Albi (1.9%), Marseilles (2.9%) and Toulouse (4.2%), even if the increase goes wrong in the Pink City where opposition has denounced the absence of investment justifying rate increases.Exemplary, the city of Rodez is even lower than 1% of its tax home this year, but this case is extremely rare!
In terms of departments, which also accuse households, the situation is identical. The Gard and the Rhone, for example, have opted for stability. The increase was 1.8% in the Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine and 2% in the Cotes d'Armor. The general council of the Aisne himself has chosen to increase property taxes but to lower the tax. Finally, one region has raised interest rates: Alsace. It is true that the regional councils were encouraged to moderation, in this election year!
Play it safe and limit investment
The electoral cycle also explains the relative wisdom of Commons this year. The mayors have used their first full year term in 2009 to increase the tax pill, so you do not have to be taken thereafter for unpopular decisions.The rate freeze comes in Nice and after soaring 14.8% in 2009! "Faced with crisis, the municipal councils play caution and prefer to limit the investments. In Seals, for example, I do not remake the road, "says Philip Lawrence.
The behavior of the departments is more surprising since they are much affected by the surge in social spending. "But higher taxes do not tell us enough. The general advice is therefore resigned to cut spending in grants to associations for example, "says one to the Assembly of the departments of France (ADF).Or they choose to enter into division, as the President of the General Council of Seine-Saint-Denis, Claude Bartolone, who intends to vote on Thursday a budget deficit – which is illegal – in protest against the decline social benefits paid to his department by the State in the sum of 75 million euros.
Still, the picture is far from idyllic for the taxpayer. Firstly because even in places where rates are stable, their taxes will increase by 1.2%. Indeed, property taxes and housing paid by households are a multiple of a tax rate (passed by elected officials) with a base consisting of the rental value of housing. But this basis is adjusted this year by 1.2% nationwide. Then, all elected officials have not given up the hype tax. In Paris, the rates will still rise by 8%. Even punishment in Perpignan, where taxation was wise for nine years.In addition, there are finally some surprises Tax garbage collection, which jumped 20% incidence in the urban area of Marseille.
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