The end of a unique tax advantage for the retirement savings plan (PER)? This Monday, October 20, the deputies, during the examination of the budget for 2026 by the finance committee of the National Assembly, adopted an amendment which could be a landmark. The measure, defended by elected socialist representatives, aims to make “compulsory liquidation of the PER upon reaching retirement age by its holder”. Because currently, nothing prevents the holder of a retirement savings plan from keeping it as long as they wish, and even from opening a PER once they retire. A freedom called into question by a parliamentary report deputies Charles de Courson (Liot) and Félicie Gérard (Horizons) then by a report of the Court of Auditorsboth presented in fall 2024.
Among the complaints against the PERthe possibility of opening or keeping the plan until retirement… and benefiting from a tax exemption ad vitam æternam. Indeed, while payments into a retirement savings plan are deductible from taxable income within certain limits and are then taxed upon exit (during redemption), this is not the case when the holder of a retirement savings plan dies. Payments which have been tax exempt are not ultimately never imposed. “No income tax is due either by the deceased or by the heirs on the transferred capital, which will therefore have been subject to total income tax exemption”points to the amendment.
“A massive tax optimization tool”
Such a peculiarity “makes the PER a massive tax optimization toolfar from its initial function”deplores the statement of reasons for the amendment adopted in committee. An argument supported by the socialist deputy for Eure Philippe Brun during the debates, joined by the president of the finance committee, Eric Coquerel (LFI). “How is it justifiable that there is no tax on the capital transferred?”the elected official from Seine-Saint-Denis was indignant. “There are only two solutions: either we impose the PER as part of the transfer, or we require it to be unwound upon retirement”continued the Left Democratic and Republican deputy from Cher, Nicolas Sansu. “If you do nothing and one fine morning you break your pipe, your heirs will not have a penny to pay”added Charles de Courson (Liot, Marne). A situation which the members of the Finance Committee therefore intend to put an end to. It now remains to be seen whether this measure will be retained during the examination of the 2026 budget in session, which is due to begin in the Hemicycle this Friday, October 24.
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