In summary…
A doctor's or self-employed professional's assets are largely built up through their pension fund, with income that fluctuates from year to year, and ultimately culminate in the sale of their patient base or shares in their practice. Choose a practice that begins by reviewing your pension fund (for a doctor, this is the CARMF and its four schemes), quantifying in euros the pension and disability benefits it pays out, and preparing the sale process with your accountant or notary. The figures below, along with their corresponding year, come from the pension fund or other official sources.
Balmont Conseil is a firm not independent In regulatory terms: he receives commissions on the contracts signed. We have been supporting executives, professionals, and families for almost 14 years, in Lyon or via videoconference.
A self-employed practitioner doesn't have an employer contributing on their behalf, nor a payslip showing their entitlements. Their entitlements are held by their social security fund. That's where sound advice begins.
1. Your pension fund first: what it contributes and what it pays out
Self-employed professionals are covered by the CNAVPL, which comprises ten pension funds, including the CARMF for physicians. Since January 2004, the basic pension for self-employed professionals has been a single, points-based system; each fund manages its supplementary pension independently. For a physician, the CARMF has four pension schemes. According to its June 2026 guide, a physician's pension is distributed on average as follows: approximately 23% for the basic pension, 45% for the supplementary pension, and 32% for the supplementary old-age allowance (ASV).
| CARMF scheme | 2026 contribution (calculated on 2024 income) | What he finances |
|---|---|---|
| Base | 8.73 % of income up to €48,060 (annual Social Security ceiling 2026), then 1.87 % up to €240,300 | Basic pension |
| Complementary | 11.8 % of income up to €168,210 | Supplementary pension |
| ASV (contracted practitioners) | A fixed portion of €1,917 (sector 1) or €5,751 (sector 2), plus a proportional portion | Supplementary old-age allowance |
| Disability-Death | €626 for incomes up to €48,060; €1,010 for incomes of €144,180 and above | Long-term absence, disability, death |
Specifically. Before purchasing any product, request your points statement and a calculation of your retirement benefits at your target age. Without this information, no savings advisor can know what gaps to fill.Retirement for a self-employed professional: Cnavpl and pension funds).
2. Irregular income: the fund tracks payments with a two-year delay
Contributions for 2026 are provisionally assessed based on 2024 income. They are then recalculated using the income from the previous year when available, and finally adjusted when it is finalized, according to the CARMF member guide (June 2026). An exceptional year (locum work, assignments, partial transfers) will therefore be reflected in contribution requests with a delay. Set aside the adjustment and the tax due when the income is received.
A high tax year is also one in which a tax-deductible contribution to a retirement savings plan (PER) has the greatest impact on taxes, as it reduces the year's taxable income. The BOFiP (version of February 17, 2026) uses 10 % of the previous year's earned income as the basis, up to a limit of 8 times the Social Security ceiling, with a floor of 10 % of this ceiling, and provides for a specific calculation for the profit portion: have it calculated. Unused ceilings are carried over: Service-Public (verified on October 12, 2026) specifies that those for 2024 and 2025 remain usable until 2027 and 2028. Upon withdrawal, the PER offers the choice between a lump sum, an annuity, or both, from retirement onwards (Individual PER).
3. Transferring one's patient base or shares: two distinct systems not to be confused
| What you give up | What the administration plans | Conditions mentioned |
|---|---|---|
| Your patient base, in your own name | Exemption of capital gains from business activities from income tax (Article 151 septies A of the French General Tax Code) | Activity carried out for at least five years; transfer for consideration due to retirement; a partner in a partnership who transfers all their rights upon retirement is also included. |
| Your company's securities | A fixed allowance of €500,000 on capital gains, for sales up to December 31, 2031 | At least 25% of voting or profit rights held continuously for the previous five years; retirement within two years before or after the transfer; transfer of all shares or more than half of the voting rights; shares held for at least one year; company with fewer than 250 employees, with a turnover of less than €50 million or a balance sheet total of less than €43 million. |
Which of these two schemes applies to you depends on the form of your business activity, sole proprietorship or company, and your retirement timeline: the time frame is relevant in both cases. Have this confirmed by your accountant or lawyer before signing the transfer agreement, not after.a €500,000 tax allowance upon retirement).
4. Insurance: what the fund pays out if you stop working
| Situation | What CARMF pays out (2026) |
|---|---|
| Days 4 to 90 of leave | Nothing: this period falls under the jurisdiction of the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund), according to its own rules. |
| From the 91st day, for a maximum of 36 months | €65.84 per day for 2024 income up to €48,060; €197.51 per day for income of €144,180 or more; and in between, one-730th of 2024 income per day. |
| Total and permanent disability | Annual pension of €23,662 (income up to €48,060) to €31,549 (income from €144,180), paid no later than the quarter following age 62 |
Compare these amounts to your fixed expenses: office rent, locum, business loans. The difference between the two is what supplementary insurance should cover, and it is measured in euros per month (Self-employed workers' insurance: what happens if you stop working?, Six-month leave: what you will receive).
For the technician. Exemption from capital gains tax on business assets upon retirement: Article 151 septies A of the French General Tax Code (CGI), BOI-BNC-BASE-30-30-30-30 (sale of a sole proprietorship, professional practice) and BOI-BIC-PVMV-40-20-20-10 (five-year business activity requirement). Fixed allowance of €500,000 on the sale of securities by a retiring business owner, until December 31, 2031 (Entreprendre.Service-Public.gouv.fr, March 11, 2025). Limits on the deduction of retirement savings contributions: BOI-IR-BASE-20-50-20.
5. How to choose a firm when practicing independently
- His ORIAS number, his category (financial investment advisor, insurance broker) and his written response on the nature of his advice in the regulatory sense.
- Who pays him based on your case, and the amount in euros, the first year and then each year.
- A letter of engagement that specifies the service and remuneration before any advice is given.
- Reviewing your till receipts before suggesting any product.
- His method with your accountant and your notary: the transfer is prepared by three people.
- Annual follow-up, which can be done remotely.
We are financial investment advisors, members of ANACOFI-CIF, and insurance brokers, ORIAS 13003497, with 23 partner companies and asset management firms and no capital ties to any bank or insurer. A review of your contracts is free, as is the initial consultation; a customized service, conducted with your notary or accountant, is billed at €500 including VAT per hour; annual follow-up is free. Our commissions come from the contracts we sell (our page on liberal professions).
Our position
A self-employed professional builds their assets in this order: health insurance, supplementary insurance, retirement savings, then business transfer. Each step determines what remains to be financed for the next. A firm that offers you a product before even looking at your bank statements and calculating the cost of a six-month leave of absence is starting from the end. Demand the order, and demand the money.
Frequently asked questions
Do my CARMF contributions decrease if my income decreases?
With a delay. The 2026 contributions are called on the 2024 income, then recalculated with the income of the last known year, and adjusted when the income is final.
From what point does CARMF compensate me in case of sick leave?
From day 91 onwards. Days 4 to 90 are covered by the CPAM (French National Health Insurance Fund), according to its rules. During this period, your practice fees continue.
Can I sell my practice without capital gains tax?
Sometimes. The exemption from capital gains tax on business assets requires, in particular, five years of activity and a sale due to retirement. For shares in a company, the fixed allowance of €500,000 is subject to other conditions, including retirement within two years of the sale.
Are you preparing for a sale or retirement?
Send us your cash receipt: we will read it with you, and we will tell you what still needs to be financed.
Book an appointment
The initial consultation is to establish your exact situation and determine if there is anything that can be done—sometimes there is nothing, and we will say so as well. Thirty minutes, with no obligation.
Book an exchange with Balmont Conseil
Alexis Sagnier, financial and real estate investment advisor, insurance broker, AMF certified. ORIAS 13003497. Updated on 24/10/2026.
Official sources consulted
- CNAVPL — Liberal professionals and their pensions (ten funds, single basic points-based scheme since 2004)
- CARMF — 2026 Summary (2026 contributions, 2026 Social Security ceiling)
- CARMF — Guide for contributing physicians, June 2026 (calculation of contributions, disability and death benefits)
- CARMF — Guide «Prepare your retirement at your chosen time», June 2026 (average weight of each plan)
- BOFiP — BOI-BNC-BASE-30-30-30-30: Exemption of capital gains upon retirement (liberal professions)
- BOFiP — BOI-BIC-PVMV-40-20-20-10: five-year activity requirement (article 151 septies A of the CGI)
- Entreprendre.Service-Public.gouv.fr — Fixed allowance of €500,000 for SME managers retiring (March 11, 2025)
- BOFiP — BOI-IR-BASE-20-50-20: Limits on the deduction of retirement savings contributions (version of 17/02/2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Retirement savings plan (PER): limits, withdrawals (verified on October 12, 2026)
