Inès Zeghloul, edited by Gauthier Delomez with AFP 8 p.m., December 27, 2022

To help the most modest to overcome inflation and the rise in the cost of energy, Spain has decided to completely abolish VAT on basic necessities.

Can the French government take inspiration from this measure?

According to an economist contacted by Europe 1, such a measure is however unthinkable in France.

In Spain too, the government is taking new measures in the face of inflation.

He has just drawn the outlines on Tuesday of a new anti-crisis aid package worth 10 billion euros, to help the Spaniards cope with the explosion in prices resulting largely from the conflict in Ukraine.

Among this burst of measures, aid of 200 euros for the most modest families, and the abolition of the 4% VAT on basic necessities (bread, dairy products, cereals, etc.).

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While in France, the government has just launched an energy-wood check, can it draw inspiration from this latest flagship measure by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez?

VAT, "first tax" in France

According to economist Philippe Crevel, specialist in macroeconomic issues and interviewed by Europe 1, this abolition of VAT is not possible in France.

“VAT is the main revenue for the State. It is the first tax”, he recalls, “so any measure which targets VAT cuts down State resources quite significantly”, he explains. he at the microphone of Europe 1.

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The economist adds that the French government has chosen "another policy, a fuel rebate policy, and a policy which is now moving towards targeted checks".

Also, the investment that such a measure requires would be colossal, as evidenced by the costing of the Spanish government's battery of measures.

Estimated at 10 billion euros, this anti-crisis aid package comes on top of the 45 billion euros already committed over the past year.