Versement transport
In France, the versement transport is a hypothecated urban regional payroll tax levied on the total gross salaries of all employees of companies of more than 11 employees, originally intended to raise capital for investment in local public transport infrastructure, but more and more used to cover its operating expenses. The tax is levied on the employer, not the employee directly. The money is directed to the autorité organisatrice de transport urbain, the local government authority responsible for organising public transport.
In 2010, for example, this tax financed nearly 40% of the operational cost for the public transport network in Ile-de-France through the Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France, the AOT for the Île-de-France, which includes Paris. The STIF distributed the money between the RATP, the SNCF and the Optile group.
Expansion
First established in the Paris region, in 1973 the VT was extended to all urban regions of over people. In 1974 this was extended to those whose population exceeded, in 1982, to those over and in 1999 to those over . The money is directed to the local autorité organisatrice de transport urbain. Between 1975 and 1982, the minimum population being fixed at may have played a decisive part in the creation of AOTs encompassing several smaller communes, and in the extension of "périmètres de transport urbain".Rates
General
The VT rate is variable depending on the size of the population in the PTU. Since 2011, it is limited to 0.9% for PTUs with fewer than inhabitants.Île de France
- 2.85% in Paris and the Département of Hauts-de-Seine
- 1.91% in certain municipalities, set by decree, in the Départements of Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, and Val-d'Oise
- 1.50% for other municipalities in Île-de-France.
Supplements
- an AOT can set its tax at 1.75% if it provides the service itself rather than contracting it out
- An extra 0.05% may be raised if the AOT is a "communauté de communes", a "communauté d'agglomération" or a "communauté urbaine"
- Since July 2010, another 0.2% may be raised if at least one commune in the PTU Is classed as a tourist destination.