The French tax office is renowned for its persistence, even in the face of great adversity. A further example of the way the tax collector works in defiance of established facts has been provided by a recent case in the small Breton seaside town of Sarzeau.
A demand for Property Tax was sent to the occupant of “Grave 24, Row E, Cemetery Road.” However, since there was a problem with a signature from the designated recipient, the letter ended up in the hands of the town’s mayor, David Lappartient, who said he was “dumbfounded”.
His office withheld the woman’s surname but said her Christian name was Jacqueline. The head of the Sarzeau treasury, Christophe Libre, told the Ouest-France newspaper: “Unfortunately It’s not the first time we’ve had this sort of letter from the public finance centre in Vannes.”
Mr Libre added that it could be a joke by someone who registered the change of address online, or one of the heirs who didn’t want to pay the property tax.