© Stephane Audras
The vast majority of French people are not taxed when they inherit, as they inherit little.
A tax question, that of inheritance? Certainly. What is the right level of taxation? A social subject? Just as much, since it affects the reduction of inequalities. But also a societal debate, the conception of the family being obviously in ambush. And even a question of morality, since we are talking regarding death, links between generations, the idea of transmission which would be a way of“lengthen one’s being”, as Montaigne said. It is because it is a bit of all of these things that the theme of inheritance is eminently political and deserves to be put on the presidential table.
The background, as the sociologist we interviewed reminds us, is that the French are generally attached to it, whether they are rich or poor, on the right or on the left: the philosophical reasons mentioned, with their symbolic, historical, emotional, intimate invite themselves as well in a pharaonic heritage as in a transmission of a shack without much value. This shared attachment blurs the political reading of the figures, however clear: 50% of French people receive less than 70,000 euros of inherited wealth. 10% more than 500,000 euros, 1% more than 4.2 million euros and 0.1% more than 13 million euros.
Another useful reminder: the vast majority of French people are not taxed when they inherit, as they inherit little, but they do not necessarily know it. Conversely, those who inherit a lot claim that they are taxed disproportionately, while the opacity of the inheritance tax system, and the multiple derogations and other niches benefit the very very very rich. This increases the inequalities. The vast majority of economists agree that inheritance tax needs to be reformed. Five years ago, those who had advised Emmanuel Macron had suggested that he tax the very, very rich more and raise the ceiling below which inheritances are not taxed. Common sense proposals remained dead letters. Nothing indicates that the Head of State regrets it.