The general director of Amazon France Frédéric Duval declared Monday October 21 that the company would “pay” the exceptional contribution targeting large companies if it was voted on, but warned of the loss of tax attractiveness that this would represent for France. “Yes, we will pay – if it is decided – the tax, we are a legalistic company, we apply the law”, affirmed Frédéric Duval on Monday on RTL.
The boss of Amazon France, however, refused to comment on the merits of such a system. “I don’t have to say if it’s normal or if it’s not normal, what I know is that when we look at the attractiveness of a country, we also look at taxation,” he said. he commented. Asked about the possible sustainability of this exceptional contribution, Frédéric Duval repeated that it was necessary “that the attractiveness of France (remains) important”.
500 million euros in taxes
On what such a contribution would represent financially, he said he had “not looked”. Frédéric Duval indicated that the American online sales giant paid in France “a little more than 500 million euros in taxes” for “around 10 billion in turnover”. Amazon France employs 24,000 people in France.
The deputies of the Finance Committee validated on Friday the temporary increase in taxation on large companies wanted by the government, an “exceptional contribution on the profits of large companies” which must be introduced for two years.