A “flash” mission set up by the National Assembly led on Tuesday to the shared observation of the existence of “exceptional” profits made by certain companies in times of crisis, but with divergent avenues for putting them to use.

The two co-rapporteurs of this mission, David Amiel (Renaissance) and Manuel Bompard (LFI), presented their recommendations to the Finance Committee following a cycle of hearings: that of support for the system in gestation at European level for the first, against that of national taxation for the second.

Total and Engie targeted

Going beyond the semantic quarrels around the term "superprofits", the two co-rapporteurs agreed that there were indeed "windfall profits" made thanks to the explosion in energy prices by oil, gas and maritime transport, at a time when public authorities are looking for resources to protect the purchasing power of consumers at half mast.

The energy crisis "generates shortage rents", with "spectacular price increases decorrelated from production costs", said macronist David Amiel.

"The existence of exceptional profits is characterized", insisted the Insoumis Manuel Bompard, citing "Total whose profit was multiplied by two in the first half" or Engie which had "the equivalent in the first half of its profit over the year before”.

Different conclusions

However, the two co-rapporteurs draw different conclusions.

Amiel mainly recommended to "implement as quickly as possible the European agreement of September 30 last" which provides for a cap on the income of producers of electricity from nuclear and renewable energies and "a contribution" from gas producers and distributors , coal and oil, set at 33% of profits more than 20% higher than the average for the years 2019-2021.

Acting at EU level allows "to avoid negative effects on our attractiveness" and "to broaden the base by involving large companies in the oil and gas sector on all of their activities in Europe", he argued, also pleading for devices encouraging ecological “super-investments”, rather than for “super-taxes”.

Bompard is campaigning for a tax

The European agreement does not prevent the Member States “from adopting additional national measures”, estimated Bompard for his part, seeing “no serious objection to the establishment of a tax” in France.

He recommended setting up a “French tax on the corporate tax base for all companies whose turnover exceeds 750 million euros and which have made profits more than 25% higher. to the average of the profits made between 2017 and 2019”, in accordance with a measure defended by the left alliance Nupes.

For companies not affected by corporation tax, it is "possible to have a base based on sales", he said.

This question promises to animate the debates around the 2023 budget in the Assembly.

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  • Economy

  • Manuel Bompard

  • National Assembly

  • Nudes

  • Renaissance (Political Party)

  • Taxation