Minister denies wine tax on way

WINE drinkers and winemakers have received some cheer from Agriculture Minister Stéphane Le Foll who said there will be no tax on wine.

Le Foll admitted that some MPs had talked of a “wine tax” as a way of cutting down on drinking and bad behaviour but said that no serious proposal had been put to ministers or the Cabinet.

He added that the wine industry was worth €7billion a year to France.

The news comes as it was revealed that more than 8,000 households had paid more than 100% tax on their earnings in 2012.

Financial newspaper Les Echos said the cause was the contribution exceptionnelle sur la fortune which the Ayrault government had imposed to recuperate the cost of ex-president Sarkozy’s boucler fiscal “tax shield” that set a limit on tax paid.

The information from the finance ministry at Bercy showed that 8,100 households paid more than 100% tax, 11,960 households had been taxed at more than 75% of their earnings and 9,910 at more than 85%.

Despite the boucler fiscal, 5,221 households paid more than 100% tax in 2011 with 6,203 paying more than 85% and 6,343 more than 75%.