In France, too, resistance was organized against the tax increases that prepares the new government. But it will come mainly employers' organizations. In the program of Francois Hollande, 20 billion euros of tax increase at least directly related companies. And one of them focuses all the fears of employers' organizations: the removal of the pay scale relief companies paying the levy on the value added (CVAC).

Behind this name hides a barbaric tax simple. When the government of François Fillon has removed the tax in 2010, he replaced it with two lighter taxes levied by local authorities: the territorial economic contribution (CET) and CVAE which is a tax of 1.5% value-added enterprises.

But not to penalize the smaller of them, only companies with annual revenues exceeding 50 million euros are taxed at 1.5%. Below, the rate is declining, according to the volume of business done and the slices are made based on a precise schedule. The proposal of François Hollande to remove the pay scale relief, is to tax the value added of all firms with annual revenues exceeding EUR 500 000 at a single rate of 1.5%.

Concerns

This provision will affect the brunt of SMEs is concerned there be the MEDEF. The expected tax receipts rise, according to simulations, between 3.3 and 3.5 billion euros. Difficult to know in detail what this will mean additional burden for the firms concerned. But according to data from the Directorate General of Public Finance (DGFIP), businesses with annual turnover between 500,000 and 3 million participate to the tune of 1.9 billion to these new recipes. Those between 3 million and 10 million in revenue to contribute € 760 million, mainly because they are smaller.

Against attacks of the employers of this worrying increase in the charges, the team of Francois Hollande, during the campaign, responded by indicating that SMEs would benefit from a reduced rate of corporation tax at 15%. "Except that most SMEs are already at that rate," said an official employer, "and the program of Francois Hollande has never planned to extend this rate down to more companies." …… ..

In short, the new system will penalize SMEs unless, in the parliamentary discussions, the future majority agrees to additional gestures, such as a change in the scope of the current IS reduced to 15%. A first test will show that tax Bercy to support the French industry, in a context of strained public finances.

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"Vote and go anyway!" Displays the travel agency Nouvelles Frontieres, "Vote by proxy and win a free night for two nights and get" diffuse the tourist office in Les Sables d'Olonne, "Voting is open its mouth but better "placards at all is a sign of fast food in ten different languages, while the ski resort of Chamrousse proposed his" ski pass citizen "and that the General Council of Essonne offered tickets to a rugby match to persons who have completed their duty to vote. In short, all the slogans that incentives, like ideas, no lack of originality in recent weeks. The objective is twofold: to reduce abstention but also generate additional revenue, or at least ride the wave of presidential elections.  

When the ballot becomes a ski day

The tourist office in Chamrousse (Isère) has understood that he had a vested interest in dragging this track one: "We decided to align the end of the ski season with the day of the first round of presidential elections , by implementing a package to a Euro on presentation of the electoral map duly stamped "says Medhi Kerbati, director of the tourist office. Obviously, he had to get up early to vote at a time and enjoy a sunny day of skiing. The Director welcomes further: "In 2007, we sold between 300 and 350 pass the same day, while on Sunday we have been almost 4,000 packages a day, including 2800 'skipass citizens'." Therefore a boon to the small station with 90 km tracks. It would be even one of the best days of the season.  

Discounts or freebies appreciated

In Roubaix (North), fast food Burger Food Familiy partnered with the association "Brigade civic action" to grant 10% discount for two rounds of elections, upon presentation of the electoral map stamped. The manager, Ahmed Meguedmi, was very satisfied with the effects of operation: "We found that customers who were not usually crossed our doors, especially young people, but our clientele is 80% family time normal. On April 22, traffic on our restaurants increased by 30-40% compared to other Sundays, "he says cheap pay day loans. An approach more citizen when one remembers that Roubaix had obtained the record abstention in the first round of regional elections in 2010, over 71%. In the first round of this year's presidential, abstention remained high at 31.43%.

In the wake of the fight against abstention, in Arles and Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhone), the taxi company and Co-bikes Taco has offered to the two rounds of elections free transport customers to their polling station. Was free from 8h to 13h, and the operation has been very positive as explained Aldric Monteux, co-manager of the company: "We were able to combine a citizen but also environmentally friendly, while trying to reduce the abstention. We have carried twenty, or forty trips. This was especially the elderly or people then cut transport, which would probably not displaced. "  

Campaigns sometimes left fallow

Another tourist office, that of Les Sables d'Olonne (Vendee), capitalized on an extended operation on the four weekends of presidential and legislative elections, of offering a third night for people who have established an attorney. In agreement with a dozen providers, the business case put forward here is quite as indicated Dixte Mathieu, marketing manager of the site of the tourist office: "We launched the operation on March 28 because not only the elections Presidential is a drag but tourism and more at this time we still see a drop in attendance of around 15-20%. It was a way to both promote our destination, and encourage people to vote. "  

The only cloud on the table: because of bad weather, the impact has been almost nil, although the website of the tourist office in question recorded an increase of nearly 17,000 visits over the same period (March 24 to 23 April) compared to last year. The operation, in turn, drained 1600 visits since the beginning of the operation.

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After weeks of uncertainty, the commercial court of Nanterre Friday authorized the takeover of courier Sernam into receivership on January 31 by Geodis, a subsidiary of SNCF. This is-of a partial recovery. Geodis and its subsidiary BMV disburse 750,000 euros to recover clients Sernam, or 200 million euros in turnover, and some employees of the courier company in bankruptcy.

Of the 1441 employees, 833 will join Geodis in their labor pool. SNCF will be offering for reclassification to another 600 employees Sernam which are not included. However, Geodis will recover almost none of the 55 logistics sites of the bankrupt or the 1300 delivery vehicles.

There is another week, the rescue of the company into bankruptcy by turning the fund Butler Capital Partners was far from certain. The subsidiary of SNCF had established conditions of occasions that it seemed difficult to respond positively. It took the mobilization of workers and a very high pressure, during the Easter weekend, Thierry Mariani, Minister of Transport, to push Pierre Blayau, CEO of Geodis, to be flexible to open the way for recovery.

Mobilizing ministers in recent months has, hitherto, to defuse these issues one to one industrial high-risk period for presidential elections. To achieve this, the government relied heavily on public enterprises. This is doubly the case of the SNCF. In the folder Sernam today. But before that, in January, she was involved in the liquidation of its subsidiary, SeaFrance and delivers more than 800 positions in rehabilitation and compensation of around 60,000 euros per employee not included, enough to silence anger.

No fire

In late February, EDF has rescued Photowatt and its 425 employees by announcing a full recovery in one of the few French players in the manufacture of photovoltaic panels. Renault owned 15% by the State, has agreed to secure the backlog of Foundries of Poitou.

The government has also convinced LVMH, the world of luxury, to mobilize one of its subcontractors to save a site in Yssingeaux Lejaby employing 93 employees. In other cases, governments have succeeded in obtaining respite. This is the case of the Petit Couronne refinery (Seine-Maritime), which employs 550 people payday loan companies. She was placed in receivership in late January for six months following the bankruptcy of its parent Swiss Petroplus which the owner, announced the closure. The liquidation was avoided. The deadline for submission of bids is 30 April, between the two rounds of presidential elections.

Another very sensitive site ArcelorMittal Florange. Employees rallied against the closure of the last two blast furnaces in Lorraine.

Nicolas Sarkozy announced in late February for new investment on the site and has led management to ensure that the closure was only temporary. The anger remains, but there was no fire. Three weeks before the second round, the government hopes that no other case does invite the end of this campaign.

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3 questions to Pierre Blayau, CEO of Geodis

What has allowed a resumption of Sernam while it seemed compromised last week?

We gave a period of five weeks before making the actual resumption. It was left to the attorney the time to organize the social aspect of this operation and for us to set up failover, including computers, Sernam to Geodis. Such a delay would pose a risk of deterioration of the financial position of Sernam. After discussion, earlier this week, with the receiver, we have agreed to reduce the actual recovery period to 21 days, May 7 We have been flexible to allow recovery.

One gets the feeling that Geodis is committed to backwards in this recovery?

Contrary to what I read or hear, Geodis has always been voluntary. This operation has a real industrial sense. We will grow in a highly competitive market. We take up staff and customers representing 200 million euros in turnover. We do not increase our fixed costs.

After the takeover by Mory Caravelle last year and now that of Sernam, market concentration French-mail is complete?

Even if there are fewer players, our market is still excess capacity. The process of concentration should therefore continue to favor companies that have a real performance culture.

Switzerland scored a point in the standoff that pitted him against Washington on banking secrecy. The Federal Administrative Court, one of the highest courts of Confederation, April 5 opposite end of inadmissibility to the IRS claimed that the transmission of names of clients of Credit Suisse, suspected of tax evasion. The judge considers that such data would be contrary to the bilateral tax treaty dating from 1996 and still in force. Switzerland is committed in March 2009, to comply with OECD standards for exchanging information that eliminate the distinction between fraud and tax evasion, but the new agreement, signed in June 2009 between the two countries, n has still not been ratified

.

Swiss court does not take into account an amendment to this agreement, voted on March 5 by the Swiss Parliament, which authorizes collective applications from the IRS. "The court decision complicates the government's position, who wants to reach an agreement with the United States," you recognize in Bern.

Three years after officially renounced its banking secrecy, Switzerland is still leading the fight to preserve the attractiveness of its financial center. She leads him on two fronts: against the United States where the Helvetic Confederation resists transfer of bank data, and at European level by negotiating tax agreements that preserve the anonymity of customers.

The precedent of the UBS case

This is the United States that the battle is the hardest. Beyond Credit Suisse, ten institutions are in the crosshairs of the IRS, with the implicit threat of removing banking licenses. In the case of UBS, who had come to shatter the secrecy in 2010, the Administrative Court had already refused the transfer of data. Until Parliament gives green light and ends in 5000 bank data delivered to U.S. authorities.

Switzerland is in a better position in negotiations with the EU, has always been divided on tax issues. If France calls for an end to bank secrecy, through the automatic exchange of information, other countries including Britain and Germany, Austria, Greece and the Netherlands are tempted to accept the Rubik agreements: a withholding "quick and effective" that pays billions to state coffers – $ 10 billion in Germany in exchange for preserving the anonymity of accounts.

So far, Switzerland has signed two agreements "Rubik" with Britain and Germany. Yet to pass the test of Parliaments. In Germany, the Bundesrat – Upper House – dominated by the Social Democrats could oppose a text "which guarantees the anonymity of fraudsters." His vote, expected in June, will be decisive for Switzerland.

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The hands of talented British singer and songwriter Eric Clapton, nicknamed "God" (God), she plays alone, the ultimate sound of blues and rock'n'roll. Renowned for its crystal clear sound, the American brand of Fender guitars now also shine on the market scene on Wall Street.

Founded in 1946 by Leo Fender, the legendary American manufacturer of electric guitars, acoustic amplifiers and a record filed Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to enter "as soon as possible" on the Nasdaq. The date of the introduction, the number of shares offered and their prices have not yet been disclosed.

The company, which will appear on the Stock Exchange under the symbol "FNDR", hopes to raise up to $ 200 million. The inventor of the Stratocaster, the icon of the electric guitar and one of the most popular models in the world, with "use about $ 100 million of revenue raised through this IPO" to repay a portion of its debts, whose amount is close $ 250 million. "In 2011 we were number one in terms of market share in the U.S. in the field of electric guitars, acoustic, and bass amplifiers and electric guitars and basses," the company said.

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, owned by the Weston Presidio investment fund, has made 700.6 million dollars in sales in 2011 to a net profit of 19 million. Some 45% of its sales generated outside the U.S., mainly on the European market.

Also Eric Clapton, Fender has among its faithful ambassadors Keith Richards, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Bruce Springsteen or Jimi Hendrix in 1967 who sacrificed his Stratocaster on stage in setting them on fire before smashing against the ground.

The inventor of the Stratocaster and Telecaster, Leo Fender, a creative force unmatched, gave his company to CBS in 1965. Fender grew considerably in the years that followed, before passing through an air hole associated with a lower quality instruments. In the 1980s, CBS will sell all its non-media related. A group of employees and investors led by William Schultz and his family and buy Fender to CBS in 1985.

Started from scratch

The new company had to start from scratch, including the sale or factory or machine. The emblem of the American guitar succeeds, however, his recovery, extending its grip on trademarks Guild, Gretsch, Jackson and Charvel excluding professional sound equipment. In 2008, Fender acquired Kaman Music Corporation (KMC), the largest U.S. independent distributor of musical instruments.

Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, with a production facility in Corona, California, Fender has continued to cross swords with Gibson, another giant of the electric guitar that Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, is one of the greatest followers. His fetish model, the Les Paul, was designed in the early 1950s. At its heavier and fatter than her rival Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul ignites always also rock the world stage.

The German electricity grid are on the go. Wednesday they activated two gas plants located in Austria, Theiss and Korneuburg, called "cold reserve" and the old coal plants, normally unprofitable.

But contrary to information relayed by AFP, no nuclear reactor, one of eight closed last spring, has restarted.

"Nuclear power plants have not restarted," said Le Figaro Uwe Ditz, spokesman for the power grid Tennet. "This is a decision of political authorities." In fact, the licenses of eight reactors arrested were withdrawn by the government even if it did not rule out restarting three reactors in case of peak demand caused by a cold snap.

Restarting a nuclear reactor is more complex and longer than that of a gas turbine, coal or fuel oil.

In this period of extreme cold, Germany, with its thermal reactivated, manages to export electricity to France. The German Minister of Ecology, Norbert Röttgen, welcomes the surplus products, against all odds in winter, solar and wind power: "We had these last days capacities up to 10,000 megawatts (MW) solar energy , the equivalent of ten nuclear power plants and up to 11,000 MW of wind power. "

This management method was chosen to avoid having to put down passengers for lack of a sufficient number of hostesses and stewards. "It blocks the flights a minimum. Is completed according to the presentation of the crews as and when. But we have managed so far to complete the flight and make them go as planned, "says the director of Air France at Orly, George Daher. A strategy that annoys some customers. "We were placed on a waiting list by explaining that there was not enough staff.A rip-off in communication because all flights are available at this time, "said one man who was to fly to Toulouse.

About the airport Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, the traffic was in line with forecasts of Air France, which does not exclude any last minute cancellations. It struck ten long-haul flights planned Saturday morning, including flights to New York, Montreal, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Douala. But passengers were warned on Friday. Maisselon Europe 1, delays begin to accumulate.

Disrupted traffic until Wednesday

Without an agreement this week with management on working conditions for cabin crew, six of seven unions called the stewards and stewardesses 15,000 to go on strike for the weekend of All Saints, usually very busy. Traffic should be disturbed until Wednesday, November 2 included.The company also points out that the tickets can be changed or exchanged free of charge.

The negotiations broke down this week on two issues relating to working conditions for cabin crew. The number of stewards or stewardesses present on each flight, that management would reduce, and the method of evaluation of these same individuals. Air France would they be judged by their purser, rather than by instructors as it is now. For the UNSA and SNPNC-FO, both reforms increase the workload of staff, and thus put at risk the safety of passengers.

The Minister of Transport, Thierry Mariani, has however said "shocked" by the strike call, which he considered "suicidal".

This battery is able to prevent contagion of the crisis, while fears now focus on Italy.And even if the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, seems to have succeeded in extremis to persuade its ally the Northern League to accept a pension reform demanded by its European partners in exchange for their solidarity. Thus, the Heads of State and Government of the euro area may call Wednesday the European Central Bank (ECB) to continue its purchases of bonds to support Italy and Spain, according to a draft of their summit conclusions which Germany said, however, disagree for now.

Oil prices down

In fact, German Chancellor Angela Merkel for now ensures that no scenario involving the European Central Bank (ECB) to strengthen the rescue mechanism, the European Stability is the agenda of the summit Payday advance.

On the macroeconomic front, the durable goods orders will be published early in the afternoon.Follow the new home sales in September and weekly crude oil stocks.

As for commodities, oil prices are falling: a barrel of "light sweet crude" for December delivery ceded 0.61% to 92.60 dollars. For its part, the euro appears to balance against the U.S. dollar, rising 0.08% to 1.3921 dollars.

Values ​​to follow:

• Lockheed Martin has seen its profits grow by 25% in the third quarter to $ 700 million. The group also raised its targets for 2011.

• Ford: U.S. carmaker Ford on Wednesday released a profit for the third quarter down 2% but slightly above expectations, together with a turnover up 14%. The Group posted a profit of $ 1.65 billion.Based on the number of shares and excluding exceptional items, it amounted to 46 cents a share, where analysts had forecast 45 cents.

• Boeing released on Wednesday a net profit up 31% to $ 1.1 billion for the third quarter, exceeding expectations, but it has revised down its forecast for commercial deliveries for the year.

• ConocoPhillips is required to publish at the beginning of the afternoon's results for the third quarter.

True to his style, though Chancellor has not completely closed the door on this idea, stating that the priority was to avoid it."Everything must be done to keep the euro area united politically, because otherwise we could face a domino effect." Angela Merkel has also kept the pressure on Athens, welcoming the signal showing that "the Greek government has recognized the situation and does what he must do. " Finally, after a meeting with the Prime Minister of Finland Jyrki Katainen, it calmed the game on the ongoing negotiations between Greece and Finland, which requires collateral in exchange for his participation in the background of help. "I am optimistic that we find an agreement," she said.

Limit catches of speech

The statements made by German Chancellor multiple contrast with the silence of Nicolas Sarkozy. The French president received Tuesday the president of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy to a point on the situation, with nothing to filter their conversation.Side of the French government, it is estimated that in the context of extreme nervousness of the markets, which eventually rebounded Tuesday after closing fell sharply at the opening, limit the public speaking up, not to give the serious crisis that Europe wants to avoid. Do not think of a panic. Within the State, it still insists that "banks are strong," they are "fully capable" to absorb the losses to Greece and that "we are far from the situation in 2008, where the interbank market was closed. Today, there is no liquidity problem. "

On the side of the Ministry of Economy, we want even more reassuring: "rumors do not affect the real economy."Therefore, there is "no reason" to think about re-financing of the Society of the French economy (SFEF) or the Company of equity of the state (SPPE), created in the heart of the financial turmoil in 2008 to rescue banks.

As part of nationalizing banks, as the idea begins to circulate, "it is triple no!" Says Minister of Economy, Baroin, Le Figaro. The Government's priority is the speedy implementation of the plan July 21. "What must be avoided, an environment is anxiety sustainable. Because here, the banks would start to select their distribution of credits, "we nevertheless recognize Bercy. A topic that will be at the heart of the Eurogroup expected Friday in Poland. This meeting of European finance ministers promises crucial. Further indication of the challenge, the U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will participate exceptional.According to European sources, it should call on this occasion the Europeans not to procrastinate in managing the crisis and look closely at increasing the capacity of the SFEF to deal with bank recapitalization.

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Real estate capital gains: exempt after thirty years

So far, the real estate gains from the sale of second home or rental investment have benefited from a system of allowances that could significantly reduce the tax liability. To calculate the taxable gain, a reduction of 10% per annum applied after five years in prison. What amounted to a total exemption after two years. As part of the austerity plan presented on 24 August, the government decided to remove any abatement, and the next day.The added value (for inflation) would have been taxed at 32.5%, regardless of the holding period. Unacceptable to many members of the majority, led by the rapporteur of the budget Gilles Carrez UMP.

The government preferred to find a compromise with them, which should logically be adopted by the Assembly on Tuesday. The abatements are restored, with a grid less generous than before: 2% between the sixth and fifteenth year of ownership, 3% between the sixteenth and twenty-fifth, 10% above the twenty-fifth. This will lead to a reduction of half in twenty-five years and total exemption after thirty years. The French may still take several months for rebates of 10%, the new system applies only to final deeds of sale signed on 1 February 2012.To finance this relaxation (180 million "lost" to the state in 2011, 195 million in 2012), it was decided, inter alia, to submit to French taxation, via a deed, the sale of shares of Civil Society Real Estate (SCI) performed from abroad but on French goods.

Companies: Consolidated Global Profit loss

Always return to fund rebates on real estate gains, MEPs adopted on Wednesday the proposed Bercy to end the regime of worldwide profits, which can deduct the losses of profits by foreign subsidiaries. Total Vivendi or benefit. Another source of funding: the extent of the share of capital gains on disposal of subsidiary (leading to an exemption from capital gains to 90% instead of 95%) is brought forward to 1 January 2011.Finally, as announced August 24 by François Fillon, one of the articles of the bill limits the back and carry forward a deficit. From 2011, the deferral on profits can only be done earlier than one year (instead of three). The postponement of the deficit on the profits of subsequent years will be capped (at 60% of income in excess of 1 million euros).

Luxury hotels: four euros per night

The government had to give up the VAT on theme parks. To compensate for the shortfall of 90 million per year, Bercy and the members voted to create a 2% tax affecting luxury hotels including nights at a price greater than or equal to 200 euros.