Around 100 billion euros per year: this is the amount of tax fraud estimated by the High Council for Public Finances. Much more than social fraud. At a time when the government is looking for, for its next budget, 40 billion euros without increasing the taxes, it is decided not to let anything pass: “Fraud is money stolen from the French”, Repeat the Minister responsible for public accounts, Amélie de Montchalin. But the challenge is size because, as it explained on April 15 on France 2, “We are no longer at all in the neighbor who does not declare our income very well, we are now faced with a real industry in organized fraud”. Including with networks that act from abroad.
Crossing of data, use of artificial intelligence, recruitment of experienced investigators and multiplication of controls, however allowed Bercy to detect and notify up to 16.7 billion euros in tax fraud last year. Or an amount doubled in five years. A record. And 13 billion could be recovered by the taxman.
Good results which arise from a constant political will. “All the ministers who have succeeded themselves in recent years in public accounts, from Olivier Dussopt to Gabriel Attal via Amélie de Montchalin, have made them their priority”, Observes Élisabeth Doineau, senator, general rapporteur of the Social Affairs Committee. According to her, “The administration has progressed a lot in its hunt”.
For 2026, Bercy’s goal is even more ambitious: to collect an additional 2 billion euros to reach 15 billion. The government stresses that, beyond economic efficiency, the fight against fraud is a pillar of our social pact. It is also one of the rare subjects to make consensus: from left to right through extremes, everyone is favorable to the idea of intensifying the hunt.
