Cash-strapped France hunts down €10 billion in missing VAT

Amélie de Montchalin, the minister responsible for public accounts, and her colleague in charge of small and medium-sized enterprises, Serge Papin, inspect small packages at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy, France, on November 6, 2025. JEREMY PAOLONI / ABACA

Everyone has their investigation. While inquiries continue into the theft of jewels from the Louvre, the sleuths at the French Finance Ministry are pursuing another treasure: the billions in value-added tax (VAT) that are missing. Nearly €10 billion in just one year!

Amélie de Montchalin, the minister in charge of public accounts, announced on Thursday, November 13, that she had assigned an "emergency mission" on the matter. Speaking before the two parliamentary finance committees, the minister hinted that she already had a lead. An unexpected one: small packages, primarily from China.

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