"The discovery of thousands of undeclared private swimming pools in France has provided an unexpected windfall for French tax authorities."
"They have amassed some €10m ($9.9; £8.5m) in revenue, French media is reporting.
Pools can lead to higher property taxes because they boost property value, and must be declared under French law."
"The tax authorities say the software could eventually be used to find undeclared home extensions, patios or gazebos, which also play a part in property taxes."
It was on the news last night and is only the start of it because they can be more easily detected outside. What is harder for the authorities to find is all the undeclared internal renovations such as additional bathrooms or loos.
It seems ridiculous that a garden shed should incur tax, but then people are putting up garden sheds and using them as offices, extra accommodation etc. Our wood store which we built against an existing wall, is half open on one side and closed in by some fairly dense brown plastic netting, the sort that can be used to suppress weeds. That way we don't have to declare it, and it is only a wood store.
I presume this does not apply to above ground pools, how do they tell the difference from up in a plane, they have been a lot of small aircraft activity around here, we suspected it was related to the hose pipe ban. If it does start getting on to above ground I might as well rip it out, not been in it this or last year, bloody crud stuck to the bottom, useless trying the suction brush via the skimmer, and it's been too hot to stand out there brushing it off in the hope it will enter the filter, just settles on the floor again.
France has been using airborne surveillance to monitor crop planting vs that claimed for subsidies for a long time. The cost of airborne surveillance for pools vs tax revenue recovered is dubious unless there is a high number of evaders. Incidentally no AI is necessary. It seems any application of IT these days and the media have to preface it with “AI”
hughnique wrote: ↑Tue Aug 30, 2022 10:46 am
I presume this does not apply to above ground pools, how do they tell the difference from up in a plane, they have been a lot of small aircraft activity around here, we suspected it was related to the hose pipe ban.
Maine et Loire is one of the 9 departments that has been under surveillance for illegal swimming pools ! They are : Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Ardèche, Rhône, Haute-Savoie, Morbihan, Maine-et-Loire et Vendée. https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2 ... 08996.html
Imagine the bureaucratic mind that decides toilets and bathrooms should be taxed or at least be a factor in valuing property. Just plain stooopid.
Why not tax camping cars because they reduce the takings of hotels, or tents because they do the same? Oooops, some hotel owners did suggest it.
A tax which is difficult to enforce is a bad tax and should be scrapped anyway.
tagh wrote: ↑Tue Aug 30, 2022 1:28 pm
Imagine the bureaucratic mind that decides toilets and bathrooms should be taxed or at least be a factor in valuing property.........................
Toilets are taxed?! So that's why they were so rare and primitive when I first visited France.
tagh wrote: ↑Tue Aug 30, 2022 1:28 pm
Imagine the bureaucratic mind that decides toilets and bathrooms should be taxed or at least be a factor in valuing property.........................
Toilets are taxed?! So that's why they were so rare and primitive when I first visited France.
We saw the article too. I have a hard time imagining anyone who would go to the expense and trouble of building an in ground pool and not declaring it / getting a permit. If there is no permit, technically there is no pool, right? How would you enforce the 10 year guarantee if there is no legal record of a pool? Why would a macon (or any other tradesman) risk his license by agreeing to install an undeclared pool?
When we put our pool in in Bédoin, the macon insisted - as did we - that all permits were pulled prior to work starting and all documents were submitted after all works were completed.
Drop in for a natter about anything French related.
