Amélie de Montchalin has rejected Eric Lombard's claims that thousands of very wealthy French people pay no income tax. The former minister made this statement in an interview on Sunday. The Senate and lawmakers are now requesting more information on the taxation of great fortunes.
The controversy erupted following an interview Eric Lombard gave to Libération on January 11. The former Minister of Economy and Finance, who led Bercy for nine months under François Bayrou, stated that « the public finance department had looked into it: among the wealthiest individuals, thousands have a reference taxable income of zero. They pay no income tax! ».
These remarks sparked surprise and outrage, especially on the left. Eric Coquerel, chairman of the National Assembly's finance committee for La France Insoumise, responded on Monday by sending a letter to Amélie de Montchalin. He demands « all the elements the ministry has on the subject, whether notes, analyses, or figures prepared by the services of the general directorate of public finances ».
On Wednesday, January 14, at the National Assembly, the Minister Delegate for Public Accounts, who was under Lombard's tutelage at Bercy, formally denied these claims. « There are not thousands of great fortunes who pay no income tax », she stated, categorically rejecting her former superior's assertions.
This disagreement reignites the debate on the taxation of high patrimonies and the administration's opacity in this highly sensitive area. The Senate, in turn, is demanding additional clarifications to shed light on this issue.
