Home tax Are we dairy cows

The mayor of Barcarès introduced a 60% increase in the housing tax on second homes for 2024 through a unanimous decision by the city council

A large majority of you have been able to see, in recent weeks, the financial consequences generated by this measure. This very strong increase in local taxation has caused anger and exasperation among all the owners who were already paying a housing tax for their second home and who are still being deducted from a surtax for the same property!

A wave of reactions has taken hold among many non-resident homeowners, especially on social networks. Beyond the anger expressed by these taxpayers, a feeling of injustice and misunderstanding animates the debates and opens the door to all kinds of reactions some may worry.

For a better approach to the subject and to allow everyone to form an opinion, the A3C wishes to provide you with the following clarifications*:

the housing tax increase is a measure normally intended to correct a marked imbalance between supply and demand of housing in a municipality

In 2024, 1461 municipalities increased the housing tax on the 3697 eligible for the increase (by comparison, only 308 municipalities increased it in 2023)

60% of the municipalities that increased applied the maximum rate (60%). Only one quarter of the municipalities applied a minimum rate

the list of municipalities that applied the rate increase in 2024 is available at: https://www.impots.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/media/9_statistiques/data_colloc/analyse_fdl/2024/deliberations_2024_th_tf_com.pdf

the commune of Barcarès, which increases to 60%, is in the lead among the maximalist communes of the OPs. For comparison, and in proximity, the municipality of Leucate increased by 30%

*source DGFIP

These few data allow us to situate the stakes of the measure in terms of tax revenues for municipalities that, already collecting the proceeds of a secondary housing tax (totally abolished in 2023 for main residences), take advantage of false arguments in terms of housing tensions to pressure already taxed taxpayers!

Many coastal communities have developed on economic criteria based on tourism and have positioned themselves openly as seaside resorts. In terms of housing, they have very often bet on the construction of holiday homes draining owners and tenants considered as consumers feeding an economic fabric dedicated exclusively to tourism.They could have made the choice to build more housing social! How can these same municipalities make us believe today that they have trouble housing residents, given the real estate tensions that they themselves caused by advocating a tourist development, and the municipality of Barcarès does not escape this observation!

The owners affected by the increase are not fooled by this maneuver that consists of making their pockets without political risk since they do not vote in the commune!

For several weeks, a movement of exacerbation has taken hold on social networks that have seen the emergence of collectives of owners in anger who call to react.

At the same time, we can only note and regret the deafening silence of the elected representatives of the communes who did not consider it useful to communicate on this subject.

This situation naturally leads to tensions and misunderstandings that sometimes feed an unhealthy climate on the commune.

The A3C, whose large majority of members are affected by this tax grab, would like to recall:

that it is totally solidary with the owners/taxpayers affected by this abusive increase in the housing tax which comes, with the increase of the condominium charges, to burden the cost of the property on the commune

that it request the cancellation, in the municipality of Barcarès, of the increase provided for in article 1407 ter of the general tax code (optional and non-mandatory increase)

that it requires that a deliberation cancelling the increase for the year 2025 be adopted, as soon as possible, by the Municipal Council of Barcarès in accordance with article 1639 A bis of the general tax code

that it respects the opinion of each and the right to express itself in a respectful and non-amalgamating manner

that it does not condone the calls for a boycott aimed at the merchants of the commune of Barcarès in retaliation for a legitimate discontent

that it does not support any form of personal attack and denigration against the elected representatives of the municipality

that it calls on all the parties concerned to dialogue and find a favourable outcome for all in order to maintain the right balance within the commune

that it will support any action aimed at safeguarding the moral and financial interests of its members

This clarification follows the comments collected here and there and the perspectives given by some owners who present arguments and proposals that do not find their place in such a debate.

It seems useful to specify, for example, that the merchants of the commune cannot be responsible for a deliberation taken by the commune. It is also dangerous to link this increase in the housing tax to the legal affairs of the current mayor, who has only to answer to the Justice.