"The planer has been heavy handed"
LE FIGARO. – The government will make insurers to contribute to finance the social debt. How do you react?
Bernard Spitz. – Insurers are aware of the state of public finances and ready to participate in the effort. But the "planer" has been heavy handed. These measures are excessively severe: according to our calculations, they could not represent three billion euros, but up to 4.7 billion. Of the 10 billion effort on the niches sought at all, is asking a lot insurers and policyholders. And it is inconsistent with the objective of the economy and employment. Indeed, money from life insurance does not sleep. It is invested in long-term 54% companies in the form of shares or bonds.And the rest financed mainly sovereign debt.
But you knew that the tax shelters were the target of government …
Life insurance is not a niche tax! It is easy to label and all the products that we want to address. In the case of life insurance is particularly unjustified. She has a specific tax regime, as all savings products, which is the logical counterpart of an investment horizon longer term. Life insurance is not a niche, is the principal residence of the French investment!
What action is the worst?
All the measures presented have a strong impact. But the truth regarding the tax on capital reserves would undermine the solvency of insurers at a time when the sector must adapt to turmoil with Prudential Solvency II.It is indeed a drain 1.6 billion on capital of insurers can only affect their competitiveness in terms of solvency. We did not ask the French swimmers to compete in the European Championships with a sack weighted with stones … Do not ask the insurers!
Regarding life insurance, it is not a levy increase. The contract holders will pay just multichannel CSG and CRDS earlier on their compartment euro …
Exactly. However, this measure presents legal problems. The MPT contract, even if it has a compartment in euros and another in units of account, is everything. The product from its compartment euro is assumed that during the settlement of the contract. It will then reimburse the insured the overflow of CSG and CRDS eventually paid.Also, this would mean a very heavy management for insurance companies.
Baroin believes that insurers and mutuals have the ability to not pass on, the new tax agreements supplemental health officials. What do you think?
I fear that this is not so simple. The competition will be between companies, but the tax will necessarily be passed on to policyholders. Is mechanical. The Unocam, which brings together professionals in the supplemental health insurance, had proposed a plan of 3 billion euros in savings on health spending. These are structural reforms of this kind should be put in place rather than increasing taxes.
What do you do to limit the impact of these measures?
We look first to know the exact content of the texts.Then we will make proposals to the government as the national representatives in a positive way. If appropriate regulations improve the competitive environment of our businesses in France and Europe, this will be the best guarantee for tax revenues.
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