There is still time to be exempt from paying part of the single flat-rate levy (PFU), also called flat tax. A tax that many savers are faced with, given that it applies to a wide range of investments: bank accounts, term accounts, home savings plans (PEL), ordinary securities accounts, etc. As a reminder, the flat tax applies to interest and dividends received through these investments, at a rate of 30%, composed of 12.8% flat tax and 17.2% social security contributions.
Most of the time, this tax is painless, since it is deducted at source by the distributor of the savings product, generally at the end of the year. For households with little or no tax, however, this is a simple deposit, which will be refunded to them. In fact, they pay 12.8% income tax at source on their financial gains, even though they are in a lower tax bracket (TMI): 11% or even 0%. In this case, the tax authorities return all or part of the advance paid during the regularization which follows the declaration of income… the year following that of the deductions.
It is possible to avoid paying the deposit
Also, it is possible to avoid paying this advance, if you are little or not taxed, and if your income is below certain ceilings. For interest (bank books, term accounts, PEL, etc.), your reference tax income appearing on your 2025 tax notice must not exceed 25,000 euros for single people, and 50,000 euros for households subject to joint taxation. Regarding the exemption from advance payment on dividends (shares), your tax income must not exceed 50,000 euros for a single person and 75,000 euros for households subject to joint taxation.
If social security contributions are unavoidable, you can however be exempt from paying the 12.8% tax for your interest and dividends paid in 2026. It is in fact already too late for the gains that will be received this year. But, for those of next year, you must already submit your request for exemption from the tax deposit by mail before the end of the month, i.e. Sunday November 30, 2025 at the latest.
A letter to be sent before November 30
The letter in question must be sent to all financial establishments in which you hold savings or investment products subject to flat tax. For example, the bank in which you hold a super savings account, a term account or a PEL. Or the online broker or “broker” with whom you opened your securities account. If the establishment has not specified in your contract a date on which this document must be sent to it, it must have received it before November 30 inclusive to be taken into account.
Note that this exemption from down payment has a particular resonance this year, since as part of the debates around the 2026 Budget, the deputies voted for an increase in the flat tax, which would increase it, as it stands, from 30% to 31.4%. More precisely, it is the “social contributions” part of the PFU which would increase from 17.2% or 18.6%. Thus, for households who have never used it, the exemption from the deposit will make it possible to reduce the bill a little, by not having to advance the taxation for income tax. On the other hand, it is impossible to escape the increase in the social security contributions portion, which remains due whatever happens.
