seems like a great topic for discussion here…
Yes Andrew - it’s odd because one of the things I find most annoying is the French person’s stoic pride in regards to some really illogical and inefficient “habitudes” - rather than try to understand another perspective, with an open mind - they almost always stick to their guns in defending a concept which is really in need of evolution…
Everyone wants France to be more productive, but no one wants to work.
and yes, finding another new item to tax seems to be the most common “solution”.
@ Christian : “their ways” and the “way everything works” only seem bizarre and not quite right if you’ve evperienced something else. Given that the majority of people living in France have never lived anywhere else so don’t know that things could be better it’s a non issue. When in Rome… (or France for that matter)
@ Jane : no, we’ll just end up paying more tax! and they’ll keep trying to con us that we’re paying less… like when they scrapped the taxe professionnelle and replaced it with two other taxes!
Vive la France, Vivent les impôts !
France will always have to change its ways… 
I have to say that this subject does seem to have been done to death and the general conclusion seems to be that none of us like it.
More to the point will France have to change its ways and become more business friendly now that we have to pay for all the greek debt?
you know - that “I couldn’t care less” kinda attitude you can so often run into…