French president Emmanuel Macron’s government is cracking down on executives who avoid paying taxes in France as part of efforts to quell Yellow Vests protesters, reports Bloomberg.
The French government is scrutinizing the tax situation of business leaders and will take measures to force them to pay their taxes in France if necessary, budget minister Gérald Darmanin told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
“Heads of listed businesses or businesses in which the state has a stake must absolutely be French tax residents,” Darmanin said in the interview.
The increased tax scrutiny is Macron’s latest effort to rope in businesses to respond to Yellow Vests’ anger over inequality and the high cost of living. Alongside tax cuts for low-income households, Macron has also urged companies to pay special year-end bonuses to rank-and-file employees.
The government has resisted demands from many Yellow Vests protesters to reinstate the wealth tax, which Macron abolished when he became president. Darmanin said efforts to make executives pay tax in France should encourage more “civic” behavior.