President Francois Hollande said yesterday French soccer clubs would not be exempt from paying a super tax on high salaries, reacting to their decision to strike next month to protest the levy.

Football clubs are staging their first strike since 1972 in protest over the tax, which employers must pay on salaries exceeding one million euros. Top clubs complain it will add up to €20m to their tax bill.

Hollande said he had accepted a request to meet the head of France’s soccer federation, Noel le Grat, over the 75 per cent supertax, but saw no need to create an exception.

“When the tax law is voted, the law will be the same for all companies regardless of what they are,” Hollande said.

The bill is due in coming weeks to be passed by parliament.

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