Even the most honest people one day fear to have a tax control. In the Thune podcast “for the love of the taxman”, an employee tells how the agents proceed to choose the files on which they will look.
It is quite rare to hear a tax controller revealing behind the scenes of the public treasury, simply because the agents do not have the right to express themselves on the subject. These confidential things, one of Bercy’s agents reveals them in a Podcast published on Thune and entitled: “For the love of the taxman“. And sometimes, some details put the chip in the ear of the controllers. The one that testifies to the internal procedures without taboo and here is how the files are put above the battery for a tax audit.
“The first step is that we grasp statements. Now is not the time to do control, but already, we tell ourselves that there is something that is wrong”explains the young woman, who wanted to remain anonymous. Indeed, if a person declares to earn 20,000 euros per year by specifying real costs in the amount of 18,000 euros, “We wonder why he will work. We note it and put the file aside to look at it later“.
Algorithms also make it possible to define the themes to be controlled in priority. “”Some years, we will look at real costs, other years on the costs that can be deduced when we have children (crèche, nanny, maternal assistant). And then there are also bank accounts, in particular those not declared abroad: it costs between 1600 euros and 2000 euros fine per unconvolved account “specifies the tax agent. Another digital tool allows Bercy employees to better orient: artificial intelligence. “It takes us out of the anomalies lists, then we check”. Again, the themes differ depending on the year. “”The public finances of the State are much linked to politics, therefore, following the VAT fraud that it has been able to have in recent years, we have focused a lot on that. When the withholding tax has been put in place, we have worked a lot on this to make sure everything is well put in place “. Indeed, there are taxes which are more likely to be checked and above all which report more than others. For example, VAT is the tax that pays the state most, adds the specialist.
Once this list has been established, tax agents have the choice only to treat it as a whole. “”But quickly, we look at if it’s worth it. For example if a person is in the list, but that they are non -taxable, we will not insist. We are asked to control, but we are not obliged to go to the end of the procedure if we realize that it does not make sense. “ Finally, in the event of control, tax agents can send you a letter to ask you to justify your expenses, and very often, a simple explanation is enough to close the file. Professionals also take into account the concept of “right to error” and now, when individuals are in good faith, the law provides that they are slightly amendable, up to 10% instead of 20 to 40% depending on the offense.