"France needs strong, but responsible growth" to successfully meet a triple challenge: "support purchasing power, make ecological transition possible and finance our social model", said President Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux. during a press conference at the Paris headquarters of the employers' organization.

Satisfied with the reduction in the corporate tax rate to 25% (compared to 33.3% at the start of Emmanuel Macron's mandate), the boss of bosses invited the presidential candidates to make an "effort" on the production taxes, "those that weigh on turnover, payroll".

For the Medef, "we must continue to reduce production taxes to bring them back to the European Union average, i.e. an overall reduction of 35 billion euros in 5 years".

"All production taxes will have to be affected by this reduction (...): property tax, CVAE, tax on salaries, mobility payment, CFE, C3S, TE, IFER, Tascom, taxes on offices in Île-de- France…”, is it detailed in the catalog of proposals published Monday on the organization's website.

During the past five years, production taxes have already been reduced by 10 billion euros per year since 2020.

Planning

Still in the field of taxation, the employers' organization has shown its support for the carbon tax as well as the agreement on a minimum tax of 15% on multinationals found within the framework of the OECD.

The Medef defends "fair taxation of Gafam (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft)" as well as an extension of the Dutreil pact, which facilitates the transfer of businesses within a family framework, declared Mr. Roux de Bézieux.

“Taxation on the transmission of professional assets must be improved. We have seen lots of companies being sold at the time of transmission,” he lamented.

Medef President Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux at a press conference in Paris on January 24, 2022 Eric PIERMONT AFP

In terms of energy transition, the president of Medef above all asked for visibility from the future president.

"We need to know in advance what the price of carbon will be," he said.

In any case, "environmental planning schedules must be compatible with the state of technology."

"French business leaders are massively moving to this transition. The problem is that we need a vision, long-term planning," he said.

guide training

Regarding purchasing power, a burning question as he anticipates sustained inflation in 2022, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux pleaded for the sustainability of the "Macron bonus" in companies with fewer than 50 employees.

This system allows companies to pay their employees a bonus exempt from tax and social security contributions of up to 2,000 euros.

In return for the reduction in the tax burden on companies - a drop in revenue for the public authorities - employers are counting on the State to rationalize their expenditure.

He proposes to create a "taxonomy" distinguishing public expenditure "useful from that which is not", as well as a steering committee, in particular composed of business leaders, whose mission would be to "propose and evaluate reforms ".

The president of Medef also heavily insisted on the importance of training.

It targets two million work-study students by the end of the next five-year term in 2027 and wants to establish a "co-decision" mechanism on the Personal Training Account (CPF) between the employer and the employee.

Medef President Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux at a press conference in Paris on January 24, 2022 Eric PIERMONT AFP

The objective: "direct the use of the CPF towards training courses that meet the needs of companies".

Finally, in terms of pensions, the employers are hoping for the abolition of the many special schemes in favor of a system with three schemes (respectively for employees, civil servants and the self-employed).

It also proposes to gradually raise the legal retirement age to 65, from 62 at present.

© 2022 AFP