Despite their fall of one point since the peak of more than 4% reached two years ago, real estate loan rate always exceed 3%. A threshold which is not only psychological since it results in “a restricted accessibility to real estate creditparticularly for young people and the middle classes”underlines MP Lionel Causse (Together for the Republic) in the explanatory memorandum of a amendment to the Social Security financing bill for 2026 (PLFSS), the examination of which by the Social Affairs Committee of the National Assembly begins this Monday, October 27.
Co-signed by several other deputies from different political parties, such as Valérie Rossi (Socialists), Mickaël Cosson (Democrats, co-author of the parliamentary report last June on the tax status of the private lessor), Christelle Minard (Republican Right) or even Anne-Cécile Violland (Horizons), this amendment puts the spotlight on a system that is more than 100 years old but little known to the general public: the payment of all or part of the employee’s property loan interest by their employer. “Certain companies, aware of this difficulty (of their employees in accessing property), support them by covering part of the interest on their property loans. This support can reach on average 1,727.64 euros per year»develops Lionel Causse.
Future tax status of the private lessor: the government’s minimum proposal is “a starting point”
A little-known system because of its tax treatment
This mechanism was created in 1921 by the financial company for home ownership (Sofiap), a subsidiary of La Banque Postale and SNCF. Initially limited to public companies, it was extended at the end of 2022 to the private sector. No less than 600,000 employees are now eligible for this systemcumulative with the zero interest loan of the State and the Action Housing loan at 1%both also reserved for people purchasing their primary residence for the first time.
Have you never heard of it? It’s normal! Sofiap partner companies pay 55% social security contributions on the loan interest they take on. This device being “considered a benefit in kind heavily burdened for the employer, it remains marginal due to its unincentive tax treatment»explain Lionel Causse and the co-authors of the amendment.
26,000 real estate loans in the first year
The latter therefore proposes that the sums paid monthly by employers to cover all or part of the interest on a property loan taken out by a first-time employee be exempt from social security contributions. With the exception, however, of the generalized social contribution (CSG), the contribution to the repayment of the social debt (CRDS) and a social package at the rate of 20%. Furthermore, this coverage of loan interest cannot exceed an annual amount equal to 8% of the annual social security ceiling, i.e. 3,709.44 euros in 2025. This is exactly what the bill transpartisan “aimed at strengthening the purchasing power of first-time employees”tabled on March 18 by a group of deputies led by Valérie Rossi, but which has not yet been examined by Parliament.
According to Sofiap’s estimates, cited in the explanatory memorandum of the amendment, such a system could finance 26,000 loans in the first year and concern more than 400,000 households over eight years. The amendment “will normally be examined by the Social Affairs Commission between November 3 and 7, then perhaps validated around November 12, before, in this case, continuing its journey to the Senate”indicates Sofiap to Capital.
