François Hollande’s Socialist government is facing a new tax revolt – this time not from big business protesting against the president’s 75 per cent income tax band but a viral online protest by small French entrepreneurs furious about a jump in capital gains taxes.
Within hours of the announcement of the measure in last Friday’s 2013 budget, a group of web entrepreneurs had hosted a Facebook page to voice their opposition which quickly attracted thousands of hits. The issue rapidly spilled on to Twitter and other networks.
Calling themselves “the pigeons” – French slang meaning, loosely
translated, “the fall guys” – the page had attracted more than 23,000
“likes” by Tuesday and the Twitter stream #defensepigeons was being
bombarded with messages of support. French mainstream media also latched
on to the protest...
In an online statement of their objections, Les Pigeons said the measure
amounted to the “breaking of dreams, an almost sadistic demotivation”.
Stoking the ill feeling were remarks made by Pierre Moscovici, the
finance minister, on Friday when he referred to those “who earn while
sleeping”, adding: “It is not right that capital income is taxed at a
lower rate than income from work.”
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