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No good news for motorists - But a bit of a break for some - Restaurant VAT: no change yet
- Not much good news for motorists. Some people’s expectations that
insurance premiums would fall along with last year’s notable decline in
road accidents — they were down by over 20 per cent — have been
disappointed. The companies say no change will be made until 2005 —
after all, they argue, they need to be sure the drop in accidents (orsinistralité in their jargon) is permanent.
- Diesel fuel, as we announced earlier, was hiked by 3 cents a litre
in January, bringing the average price up to 90 cents a litre. That
affects, incidentally, 4 out of 10 vehicles in France. And a swingeing
increase in penalties for those whose car is towed away to the pound.
They now have to pay 126 euro to recover their vehicle, up from 91.50
euro; if they don’t get round to the pound the same day the daily
additional charge has gone up from 4.60 to 10 euro.
- Something more positive after that: the government has
announced that salaried tax-payers who suffer a sudden drop in income —
minimum 30 per cent — can now apply to defer payment of their income
tax by up to twelve months. Applications, with supporting evidence,
should be made to the relevant trésorerie.
- Remember that business about cutting VAT on restaurant meals from
19.6 to 5.5. per cent? Well, Brussels doesn’t like the idea and there
can be no decision until they give their ruling… at the end of the
year. This didn’t please the trade who were hoping for relief in time
for the summer season. When the tax cut comes, though, it won’t
necessarily be passed on to the customer but used to stabilise
restaurants’ often rocky finances. Meanwhile, the government has
undertaken to reduce social charges for restaurant owners from July
1st. Again, the customer is unlikely to benefit.
No good news for motorists - But a bit of a break for some - Restaurant VAT: no change yet
- Not much good news for motorists. Some people’s expectations that
insurance premiums would fall along with last year’s notable decline in
road accidents — they were down by over 20 per cent — have been
disappointed. The companies say no change will be made until 2005 —
after all, they argue, they need to be sure the drop in accidents (orsinistralité in their jargon) is permanent.
- Diesel fuel, as we announced earlier, was hiked by 3 cents a litre
in January, bringing the average price up to 90 cents a litre. That
affects, incidentally, 4 out of 10 vehicles in France. And a swingeing
increase in penalties for those whose car is towed away to the pound.
They now have to pay 126 euro to recover their vehicle, up from 91.50
euro; if they don’t get round to the pound the same day the daily
additional charge has gone up from 4.60 to 10 euro.
- Something more positive after that: the government has
announced that salaried tax-payers who suffer a sudden drop in income —
minimum 30 per cent — can now apply to defer payment of their income
tax by up to twelve months. Applications, with supporting evidence,
should be made to the relevant trésorerie.
- Remember that business about cutting VAT on restaurant meals from
19.6 to 5.5. per cent? Well, Brussels doesn’t like the idea and there
can be no decision until they give their ruling… at the end of the
year. This didn’t please the trade who were hoping for relief in time
for the summer season. When the tax cut comes, though, it won’t
necessarily be passed on to the customer but used to stabilise
restaurants’ often rocky finances. Meanwhile, the government has
undertaken to reduce social charges for restaurant owners from July
1st. Again, the customer is unlikely to benefit.
From Reporter 102 - Apr/May 2004
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Consumerism 
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