Europe 1 with AFP 4:19 p.m., June 21, 2022

More than 4,100 fraud files were sent by the tax administration to justice in 2021. This figure is three times higher than in 2020 or 2019. The reason: the multiplication of solidarity fund fraud.

The tax administration indicated on Tuesday that it had transmitted more than 4,100 cases of fraud to justice last year, more than three times more than in 2020 or 2019, due in particular to the numerous complaints filed for fraud to the solidarity fund.

Of the 4,168 cases sent to justice last year - compared to 1,489 in 2020 and 1,826 in 2019 - more than 2,500 concerned fraud in this business support system set up during the health crisis, according to the activity report from the Directorate General of Public Finance (DGFiP) published on Tuesday.

The tax administration only sends the most important cases of fraud to justice, and has "identified more than 4,000 files to date", which could be the subject of a transmission, indicated the director general of public finances. Jérôme Fournel presenting this report to the press.

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In total, the administration has recovered approximately 67 million euros unduly paid under the solidarity fund, and the controls introduced prior to the payment of the aid have made it possible to rule out approximately 10 billion euros of undue payments, estimated Jérôme Fournel.

The state recovered 10.7 billion euros last year following tax audits

The solidarity fund is the main aid set up for companies during the health crisis, with nearly 36 billion euros paid in 2020 and 2021. Excluding the solidarity fund, 1,626 tax fraud files have been sent to justice by the tax administration, i.e. 9% more than in 2020 but still 10.9% less than in 2019, before the crisis.

The relaxation of the "Bercy lock", introduced by the anti-fraud law of 2018 and which obliges the tax authorities to transmit to justice the facts of fraud greater than 100,000 euros, has however led to a jump in compulsory denunciations without notice from the Tax Offenses Commission (CIF), which reached 1,217, compared to 823 in 2020 and 965 in 2019.

In a logic of communicating vessels, the complaints transmitted after a favorable opinion from the CIF fell to 286 (compared to 823 in 2020 and 965 in 2019).

In addition, 45 files were sent to the "tax police", the judicial finance investigation service (SEJF) also created by the 2018 law, four more than in 2020 and 2019.

In total, the state recovered 10.7 billion euros last year following tax audits, almost as much as in 2019 when they had reached a record (11 billion).