In response to the article published in "Globes" on December 28, 2017, concerning a special department investigating the tax affairs of Jews in France and new immigrants from France in Israel, France's Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) has issued the following statement:
"The DGFiP categorically denies the completely unfounded assertions released today in the “Globes” newspaper, about the 'creation of a French tax department specializing in French Jews.'
"There is no such structure within the French tax administration. The French tax law forbids any distinction between people based on their origin, place of residence, nationality or religion.
"Each year, the tax administration leads more than a million investigations. These investigations are completed based on an objective analysis of tax evasion risks. As part of these procedures, each taxpayer has the same rights.
"In addition, France is part of a multilateral system of information exchange placed under the authority of the OECD, and currently signed by 114 countries. These exchanges regard financial assets possessed by fiscal residents from a country, whatever their nationality.
"As part of these investigations, the DGFiP addresses each year several thousand enquiries for fiscal information to other countries. These enquiries are made in accordance with international standards. The Israel tax administration is therefore likely to receive inquiries from the DGFiP, as from other countries. Contrary to what has been written in the article, France only addresses a few dozen enquiries to Israel each year.
"The DGFiP regrets that the author of the article did not have the good sense to check their information with the tax administration. The DGFiP could have, for instance, told them that the building only counts 9 floors, and therefore cannot house a so-called special unit on the 13th floor."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 1, 2018
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2018