PEE and collective PER: what the business owner can do, 2026 limits

A business owner can join a company savings plan (PEE) if the company has at least one employee in addition to themselves and fewer than 250 employees. Their voluntary contributions are capped at 25% of their gross annual salary and are locked in for at least five years. In 2026, employer matching contributions are capped at €3,844.80 for a PEE (this cap can be increased to €6,920.64 if the investment is in shares or investment certificates of the company or a related company) and at €7,689.60 for a group retirement savings plan (PER collectif).

This page presents the two schemes side by side: who is eligible, what is capped, and what is mandatory. It does not cover the social security contribution or supplementary pension contracts under Articles 82, 83, and 39.

The Employee Savings Plan (PEE): Who can join?

The business owner can join their own company's employee savings plan (PEE). Two size-related conditions apply:

• the company has at least one employee in addition to the manager; ;
• The company has fewer than 250 employees.

A manager who works alone, without any employees, therefore does not meet the first condition.

Voluntary contributions and the freeze

Voluntary contributions to a PEE are capped at 25% of gross annual salary. They are not deductible from taxable income.

The invested funds are locked for at least five years, except in cases of early release. This period applies before any planned withdrawal: a sum paid in at age 58 remains locked until at least age 63.

The matching contribution to the PEE in 2026

The employer contribution is the amount the company adds to the beneficiary's payment. It is capped in two ways:

• three times the beneficiary's payment (300 %); ;
• to €3,844.80 in 2026, i.e. 8 % of the annual social security ceiling (PASS), set at €48,060 for 2026.

The €3,844.80 limit is the basic limit. It can be increased to €6,920.64 for investments in shares or investment certificates issued by the company or a related company (economie.gouv.fr). The rest of this page discusses the basic limit.

With the basic limit, the lower of the two amounts applies. Beyond a payment of €1,281.60, the basic limit of €3,844.80 is reached and the employer contribution no longer increases.

What is taxed

Employer contributions are exempt from income tax within the specified limits. They remain subject to CSG and CRDS social security contributions. Interest reinvested in the plan is exempt from income tax. They remain subject to social security contributions.

The group retirement savings plan: contributions and withdrawals

The economie.gouv.fr page refers to a "PERCO or a collective PER".

Employer's contribution

Employer contributions to a group retirement savings plan (PER) are capped at three times the beneficiary's contribution and at 16 % of the annual social security ceiling (PASS), i.e., €7,689.60 for 2026. They are exempt from income tax, except for amounts paid from age 70 onwards: according to the BOFiP (French Official Tax Bulletin), law no. 2026-103 (article 9) removed this exemption when the holder is 70 years of age or older on the date of payment, since January 1, 2026.

Withdrawal

At the output, two forms are possible:

• Capital is, in principle, exempt from income tax. The portion of the proceeds relating to non-exempt contributions is subject to a flat tax of 12.8% (%) or to the standard tax scale by option. The withdrawal rules also depend on the account holder's situation: this page only provides the general principles.
• The annuity is taxed as a life annuity for valuable consideration.

PEE and collective PER: the 2026 figures in a table

Three books to avoid

1. Believing that a single manager can open and use a PEE. The business owner's participation requires at least one employee in addition to himself.
2. To retain "three times the payment" as the sole limit. The euro limit also applies: €3,844.80 on a PEE (which can be increased to €6,920.64 in the case of shares or investment certificates), €7,689.60 on a collective PER in 2026. It is the smaller of the two that applies.
3. Count voluntary contributions as deductible. In a PEE, they are not deductible from taxable income.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. A company has eleven employees: the CEO, whose gross annual salary is €60,000, and ten other employees. It has a company savings plan (PEE). The CEO is wondering what contributions he can make and what the matching contribution represents for his employees.

Issue. The limit of three times the payment seems generous. In reality, it is quickly replaced by the limit in euros.

Strategy. The firm reviews with the manager the structure of the plan, the planned payments and matching contributions, before the next payment campaign.

Result.

The employer contribution stops increasing after a payment of €1,281.60. For the manager, voluntary contributions are capped at 25 % of €60,000, i.e., €15,000.

This profile is fictitious. It assumes the 2026 base limit (investment excluding company shares) and a plan agreement that retains the maximum limits. It does not project any results for your company.

What changes depending on your situation

• The number of employees in the company.
• Your gross annual salary, which sets the limit for voluntary contributions.
• The plan's regulations: the planned contribution may be less than the ceilings.
• Your investment horizon, in light of the five-year lock-in period.
• Your access to the collective PER, which is not covered on this page.

These factors determine what applies to your situation. No results are guaranteed: the rule will be verified on your case.