PUK for tax gift for rich

Riches are said to have been taxed too deep under FDP finance director Pascal Broulis in the Vaud. Left -wing demand a PUK and criticize: « Dittli was treated harder. » Now Broulis defends itself.

Expert report, external reports, investigations by the public prosecutor – and soon also a Parliamentary Investigation Commission (PUK)? All possible investigations are being started in the shaken Vaud politics. It has been two months since finance director Valérie Dittli (center) was disempowered by the rest of the State Council. An expert report accuses her violated the official secrecy and the cancellation of issued tax assessments of top tax payers.

Since then, further clarifications for the native of Zug have been running at criminal and parliamentary level. In everyday political life, on the other hand, the affair is increasingly overlaid of criticism of Dittli’s predecessor Pascal Broulis. The FDP man, who has been in the Council of States since 2023 and previously politicized twenty years as a financial director, is an institution in Vaud. But now the question arises: did Dittli have to take on a pile of broken glass?

The newspaper « Le Temps » reported that the richest Vaudlanders were said to have been taxed too deep between 2009 and 2021. It is potentially about dozens of millions of francs. The reason for this is the apparently illegal application of the asset tax brake, which was introduced in 2009.

First too little, then paid too much

The brake covers the tax load of the wealthiest residents to a maximum of 60 percent of their income. The exact calculation is complex. So complex that the tax authorities do not include all forms of income (income, income income) that the law would have requested. The practice was therefore only corrected as of 2022 – shortly before Broulis handed over the staff to Dittli.

“Le Temps” relied on his revelations on two matching legal report from 2024. Finance Minister Dittli had commissioned this externally. The correction initiated under its predecessor led to some wealthy paid more taxes from 2022 than they had income. The asset tax brake was again used incorrectly. Now to the disadvantage of top taxpayers. Valérie Dittli had to remedy this situation – but in the opinion of the rest of the State Council, it exceeded its skills.

For Hadrien Buclin from the left faction Ensemble à Gauche/Party of the work, it is clear due to the history of discrepancies that the examinations on the years to be dittli must be expanded under their predecessor. In parliament, he deposited the demand for a PUK in the parliament at the beginning of May. The motion was signed by 55 MPs of all parties except for the FDP.

Broulis denies tax failures

Before the vote occurs, the government must take a position in a report. Last Friday, she announced that she commissioned an external report in order to develop the facts until 2009.

«This is a first positive step. Because the goal of my motion was also to shake the government awake, »says Buclin. He now wanted to wait for the results before deciding whether to stick to the demand for a PUK. It is sometimes important that Broulis looks closely. «He is a mighty figure in the FDP and the FDP is powerful in the canton of Vaud. The impression arises that certain circles protect him – while Ms. Dittli was treated harder, even if she made mistakes. »

Broulis himself silent for weeks – until Thursday. In an interview with the newspaper «24theures» If he denies the polled tax failures in the millions. The asset tax brake contributed to keeping important taxpayers in the canton, according to the FDP politician. He emphasizes that a discrepancy is possible between law and practice. The necessary adjustments were made as promptly as possible after the situation became known by a federal court judgment in 2018 and covid -related delays.

And the explosion of some tax invoices after 2022? Was not predictable due to the individual constellations, says Broulis. Affair à suivre.