I think they work on the principle that if you are charging thousands you can afford to pay more.
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Mine are a (to me) eye-watering 2400 odd 
I only have a hectare of garden, that’s it.
When we stop trading they get peanuts…
Meanwhile they’ll carry on crying their way to the bank 
What does/do your gîte(s) look like?
maybe they will
Looks sweet, very bijou - the round bed is a bit pornfilm though 
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Really Vero it is comfortable and roomy
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is there a mirrored ceiling 
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When I lived in Brazil in the 70s the cheapest way to stay in a hotel in Rio was to head for the red light district and stay in a hotel where you could rent a room by the hour. OH and I were very comfortable. Large round bed / mirrored ceiling, everything painted red. There was a vestibule to our room where they left our breakfast, without coming into the room. I wonder whether the Rio hotel economics are still the same in 2023? 
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Such a different business model Barbara that there’s no comparison.
We appeal to middle income mainly French families who want comfort and value for money. Most times they don’t take extra options for sheets and cleaning as prefer to keep their costs low. We have no pool, no cleaner, no gardener, no fancy services - just a warm welcome and tailored advice. And if they are nice and we get on with them an invite for drinks or a meal in our garden.
So of course we don’t pay for a pool, cleaning or gardening service, nor fancy agent commissions as our bookings are direct. And at your rates you are I suppose over the threshold and paying cotisations and tax/social charges which don’t apply to us.
Our weekly booking fee may be low, but it is possible that the amount the ends up in your pocket is much the same as ours!
Gîtes were originally established to provide farmers and ordinary rural families with the opportunity for some extra income and at the same time diversifying France’s tourist offer. Hence the attractive fiscal regime for all those under the threshold. Sadly the advent of AirB&B and the explosion of luxury villas has now opened questions, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that nice 71% tax abatements went.
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What strange ideas some of you have,
My, my this thread seems to have drifted somewhat!
Yikes! Eye-watering indeed. 
They went up massively after taxe d’hab disappeared. Quelle coïncidence 
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To get back on track…
A friend has asked the question: what about a second, 1 bed house in one’s own village, just down the street, within a few yards of Maison Principale… used a few times for overflow family members when they all decide to arrive at once… ??? and currently being rewired/replumbed etc…
How can that be identified… ? not actually habitable at the moment, not a gite, and certainly not a holiday-home/maison-secondaire for the owner… but who knows what the powers that be will decide…
au contraire 
How rude.
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Well it is a résidence secondaire isn’t it, maybe your friend should go and have a chat with the tax people.
From the Figaro website:
Qu’est-ce qu’une résidence secondaire pour les impôts ?
Dans le domaine fiscal, une résidence secondaire correspond à une habitation qui n’est pas votre résidence principale. Cette dernière est le logement dans lequel vous passez plus de 6 mois par an. La résidence secondaire est alors un habitat occasionnel dans lequel le propriétaire va passer quelques mois par an, correspondant généralement à des congés. Pour les impôts, il peut s’agir d’une habitation en location ou achetée. Cela peut également être un investissement locatif ou un bien vide et vacant.
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