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Google and Capgemini developed software on Bercy’s behalf to track undeclared pools from a bird’s-eye view. However, in the testing department, especially in Bouches-du-Rhône, agents using the analysis system found many errors.
Taxpayers are furious. Thousands of letters have been sent to them indicating their next property tax increase will be substantial. However, the software, called “Innovative Land,” was declared infallible in 2019 and will revolutionize the detection of buildings that affect the value of properties subject to local taxes.
The device was developed by the US company Google and the French company Cap Gemini, at the request of the Ministry of Finance, both a digital services company and one of the technical solutions consultancies working with the French government. Bercy signed a contract worth 20 million euros with the companies to deploy the automatic detection system for undeclared buildings.
Pool finder software based on Google Maps
The software allows tax officials to cross-reference taxpayer claims with aerial photos from the IGN service or even Google Maps on the Geoporttail.fr website to identify swimming pools, garages, balconies and even tennis courts that have not been declared to tax authorities.
To refine the analysis of the images, the tax authorities indirectly called on the US giant Google, which processes some of the data collected on its computer servers. The Directorate-General for Public Finance has tested the system in ten French departments. But this life-size experiment showed that its accuracy could be improved, with an error rate of 30 percent. The software will not be able to distinguish above-ground swimming pools, so they can be demolished and taxed, versus those buried in the ground, thereby increasing the property’s value. The visual identity system can’t even tell the difference between a blue DIY or garden tarp and a paddling pool filled with water.For example, nearly a third of the nearly 8,500 taxpayers in Bouches-du-Rhône would be mistaken for a tax adjustment, beware CGT Finances Publiques union representative.
Use of Personal Data
This isn’t the first time tax authorities have used technology and the web to track down fraudsters. In 2019, Bercy decided to scrutinize all of our publications on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many other sites. This monitoring also involves lucrative activity on online commerce platforms such as Le Bon Coin, Amazon, Ebay and even Airbnb, which provide individuals with monthly supplements.
A draft government finance law authorizing the collection of personal data posted on the internet by users of online platforms received objections from the government at the time. National Commission on Computing and Liberty (CNIL) Because of the device’s “big brother” effect, internet users ultimately limit their freedom of opinion and expression when they feel constantly monitored throughout the network, according to his report.
► Also read: French tax fraud: Swiss bank UBS sentenced to 1.8 billion euros on appeal