France demands 1.7 bn euros in payroll taxes from Uber: media report

The National Times - France demands 1.7 bn euros in payroll taxes from Uber: media report

ECONOMY 02.02.2026

France demands 1.7 bn euros in payroll taxes from Uber: media report / Photo: © AFP

Ride-sharing group Uber has been told by French authorities that it owes 1.7 billion euros ($2 billion) in unpaid payroll taxes, according to a media report Monday.

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Uber avoided paying the taxes by misrepresenting its contracts with its French drivers, according to online publication Revue21, in the US company's latest dispute in Europe over the status of its drivers.

In a 142-page document seen by Revue21, the unit collecting social charges in the Paris region concluded that Uber "knowingly disguised an employment relationship as a business contract to evade its obligations as an employer" to some 71,000 drivers between 2019 and 2022.

Uber France had declared in its 2024 financial statements that in December 2024 the French social security agency Urssaf had "filed a lawsuit against the company, proposing a revision of the calculation of social security contributions".

Urssaf is an independent body that collects social charges from both companies and employees to fund France's state-run retirement accounts, unemployment insurance and medical coverage.

Uber "firmly" contested the basis of this lawsuit in a response to Urssaf, which itself "responded by maintaining its position", according to Uber's 2024 financial statements.

It said it was unable to estimate the potential cost of Urssaf's demand and was therefore not setting aside provisions.

In the document cited in Monday's report by Revue21, Urssaf said that "under the guise of a simple booking platform, Uber is in reality bound to drivers by a legal relationship of subordination", noting its triple power of management, control and sanction over drivers.

Urssaf declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

"Regarding the status of drivers, recent rulings by the Court of Cassation have confirmed their independent contractor status and thus clarified the framework within which we operate," an Uber spokesperson told AFP, referring to two rulings issued in July 2025 by an appeals court, which refused to reclassify drivers as Uber employees.

"We are currently in discussions with Urssaf and are fostering a collaborative, open, and transparent approach," the Uber spokesperson added.

According to Revue21, Urssaf estimates that Uber avoided 1.2 billion euros in payroll taxes, to which it added 512 million euros in "recovery surcharges".

T.Bennett--TNT

The "Everlasting Battery" Inside Your Joints:UConn Professor's Self-Powered Healing Material just Got Acquired

A material that turns your own movement into medicine has just landed a corporate home. PetVivo Holdings (OTCQX: PETV), a veterinary biotech and biomedical device company focused on treating osteoarthritis in dogs and horses, has acquired PiezoBioMembrane (PBM) — a startup built around a biodegradable implant that generates electricity from the everyday force of a joint in motion, and uses that charge to help regrow cartilage from the inside out. The material is the invention of Thanh Nguyen, a professor of mechanical engineering in UConn's College of Engineering, who founded PBM in 2021 to advance new implementation methods for his work with piezoelectric materials — substances that convert mechanical force into electrical energy. These materials are typically ceramics: hard, brittle, and poorly suited for medical use. But Nguyen's lab developed new forms that are so , flexible, and biodegradable, breaking down naturally within the body over time. wound healing, The materials have already shown strong potential across a range of medical applications, including tissue regeneration, implanted force sensors, and targeted drug delivery in tumor treatment. How It Works biodegradable ultrasound for In the case of arthritis, Nguyen explains, the piezoelectric materials function as an off-the-shelf product that can be implanted or injected directly into the ailing joint — with no drugs, chemicals, or cells required. The everyday force exerted on the joint generates a small electrical charge, which helps regrow healthy cartilage, mimicking the body's natural use of electricity to regenerate tissue. "The body can be electrically stimulated to regrow," Nguyen says. PBM's materials "act like a battery — an everlasting battery that works whenever there is a force applied, and vanishes safely inside the body over time." PetVivo's Vision for the Acquisition PetVivo Holdings CEO John Lai expressed enthusiasm for the merger's potential to improve the lives of companion animals globally. "PBM has developed a compelling functional biomaterials platform with the potential to support the development of multiple medical device and therapeutic product lines across both human and animal health markets," Lai said in a press release. "By combining PBM's scientific innovation with PetVivo's product development capabilities, commercialization experience, regulatory expertise, and public company infrastructure, we believe we can accelerate theadvancement of technologies that may serve as the foundation for numerous future products and strategic opportunities." For Nguyen, the deal is a chance to scale technology that could eventually benefit both animals and people. "PetVivo is an animal health company, but they do have a big passion: pushing the technology towards clinical trials for human use," Nguyen says. "That aligned perfectly with my passion for developing technology that has an impact on human life. That is why I am excited about this merger, which facilitates my passion." A Track Record of Innovation Nguyen's research sits at the intersection of medicine, micro/nanotechnology, and biomaterials. His inventions have earned him publications in prominent scientific journals and media coverage from outlets including NPR. Nguyen founded PBM during the COVID-19 pandemic, a er realizing the material he had developed could be used to create an especially effective, biodegradable face mask — one where the mechanical force of breathing generated an electrical charge that provided an extra layer of protection against viruses. PBM is not Nguyen's only venture in the acquisition pipeline. His other startup, Single-Time Microneedles (STM), is also currently undergoing an acquisition process. STM has pioneered stable, efficient vaccine delivery technology in the form of an adhesive patch. shelfNguyen's focus on biodegradable materials has translated into a remarkably diverse range of medical applications. He has received five R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supporting research in cartilage regeneration, bone regeneration, HIV antibody delivery systems, and biodegradable ultrasound technology to boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy for brain cancer. "Whatever we are working on, we want to show that it works very well in vitro and in vivo," Nguyen says. "Then, when we are at the point of commercialization, we set up a startup or license the technology — or maybe team up with an industry partner." Thanh Nguyen is a professor of mechanical engineering in UConn's College of Engineering. (Courtesy of Thanh Nguyen

The National Times - France demands 1.7 bn euros in payroll taxes from Uber: media report

France demands 1.7 bn euros in payroll taxes from Uber: media report

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