In summary…
For employee savings plans and end-of-career bonuses (IFC), three professions work together: the advise, who chooses the devices and compares the offers, the’chartered accountant, which quantifies and records in the accounts, and the manager or insurer, who holds the plan or contract. Choose a firm that starts with your staff and obligations, not with a product. And be aware that a "PERCO" is no longer being set up: since October 1, 2020, it's the company group retirement savings plan.
Balmont Conseil is a firm not independent In regulatory terms: he receives commissions on the contracts signed. We state this from the first meeting, and you should obtain the same transparency from every firm.
The term "PERCO" has remained in the conversations of executives and their accountants, but the product has changed its name and rules. Here's what's in effect in 2026, and who's doing what to implement it.
1. What exists in 2026
| Device | Ruler | Current figure |
|---|---|---|
| PEE (company savings plan) | Employee contributions, employer matching contributions, funds locked in for at least 5 years | Employee contributions: 25% of annual gross salary. Company matching contribution: 3 times the contribution, up to a limit of €3,844.80 (€6,920.64 if invested in company shares). |
| company group retirement savings plan | The successor to the PERCO, open to all employees, funds are locked until retirement except in cases of early withdrawal. | Matching contribution: 3 times the payment, up to a limit of €7,689.60 (16 % of the annual Social Security ceiling, i.e. €48,060 in 2026) |
| mandatory company PER | Open to all employees or to categories defined by the company, who must adhere to it; successor to "Article 83" contracts« | Possible mandatory company contributions |
| Profit-sharing | Agreement concluded for 1 to 5 years, in principle after negotiation | Individual bonus: €36,045 in 2026; total: 20 % of gross salaries |
| Participation | Profit sharing; mandatory from 50 employees | Individual ceiling: €36,045 in 2026 |
PERCO or PER collectif: the exact status
The retirement savings plan (PER), created by the PACTE law, has been in existence since October 1, 2019. Service-Public.fr (information verified on October 12, 2026) specifies that the company-sponsored group PER "replaces the PERCO, which can no longer be implemented since October 1, 2020." A company that already has a PERCO can keep it or convert it into a company-sponsored group PER; it can no longer open a new one. The company-sponsored group PER is available to all employees, with a maximum of three months' seniority required; enrollment is optional, except for automatic enrollment as provided for in the plan rules, with a 15-day opt-out period.
Specifically. If you are offered the opportunity to "set up a PERCO," the offer is outdated. Request the company's group retirement savings plan (PER) regulations, and for an existing PERCO, the conditions for maintaining or converting it. Our page PERCO and PER collectif details the transition from one plan to the other; the contribution ceilings are included in Employer contributions to company savings plans (PEE and PER): 2026 ceilings.
2. What obligations apply depending on your workforce size?
The profit-sharing It is mandatory for companies with 50 or more employees, once this threshold has been maintained for five years. Companies with 11 to 49 employees have been subject to a five-year experimental obligation to share profit-sharing for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2025: this applies if the company has achieved a net taxable profit of at least 1% of its revenue for three consecutive years. This obligation is fulfilled through a profit-sharing or employee shareholding agreement, a contribution to an employee savings plan, or a profit-sharing bonus (Service-Public.fr, January 17, 2025). See the obligation to share value for 11 to 49 employees.
On the expenses side, the social package is at the standard rate of 20%. It does not apply to companies with fewer than 50 employees for employer matching contributions and profit-sharing, nor to those with fewer than 250 employees for incentive bonuses (Service-Public.fr, information verified on January 1, 2026). For the 50 and 250 employee thresholds, the change only takes effect after five consecutive calendar years above the threshold. For employees, an incentive bonus invested in a company savings plan (PEE) within 15 days is exempt from income tax up to a limit of €36,045 in 2026.
Specifically. In a company of 30 employees, neither employer contributions nor profit-sharing are subject to social security contributions. The advisor should ask you about the number of employees before discussing the product.
3. The IFC: what the company must do, and how to organize it
«"IFC" refers to the severance pay an employee receives upon retirement. The law distinguishes between two cases, with a legal minimum that the collective agreement may increase (Service-Public.fr, information verified on January 1, 2026).
| Case | Minimum legal amount |
|---|---|
| Voluntary departure (at least 10 years of service) | 10 to under 15 years old: 1/2 month's salary. 15 to under 20 years old: 1 month's salary. 20 to under 30 years old: 1.5 months' salary. 30 years and over: 2 months' salary. |
| Employer-imposed retirement | 1/4 of a month's salary per year of service for the first 10 years, then 1/3 of a month per year from the 11th year onwards. |
An employer can only force an employee to retire without their consent once they reach the age of 70; between 67 and 70, they can only propose retirement, and the employee can refuse (Service-Public.fr, information verified on November 17, 2025). For example, with a reference salary of €5,000 per month (hypothetical) and 20 years of service: voluntary departure, 1.5 months, or €7,500; forced retirement, 10 × 1/4 + 10 × 1/3 = 5.83 months, or approximately €29,167. The collective bargaining agreement may stipulate more. See also Retirement severance pay: voluntary departure or mandatory retirement.
Regarding taxes, voluntary departure compensation is fully taxable; retirement compensation is exempt up to the highest of three amounts (the statutory or contractual severance pay, half of the compensation received, or twice the gross salary of the previous year), within a limit of five times the annual Social Security ceiling (economie.gouv.fr, May 28, 2026). As for social security contributions, voluntary departure compensation is fully subject to them (Urssaf).
Outsourcing through a group insurance contract
According to the BOFiP (version in force since December 3, 2012), a provision Retirement severance pay is not tax-deductible. However, actual expenses incurred are deductible, as are premiums paid to an insurance company to guarantee this severance pay, provided the company permanently relinquishes ownership and control of the funds paid. Outsourcing involves financing the commitment through regular premiums rather than using cash on the day of retirement. See our page end-of-career benefits.
For the technician. "Article 83 contracts" are mandatory supplementary company pension plans; the mandatory company retirement savings plan (PER) replaces them (Service-Public.fr, October 12, 2026). The legal formula for profit-sharing is: RSP = [½(B – 5 % C)] × [S/V], where B is net profit, C is equity, S is wages, and V is value added. BOFiP, BOI-BIC-PROV-30-20-10-20: non-deductible pension provisions (§ 280); premiums paid to insurance companies (§ 330).
4. Who does what
| Speaker | His role | What you need to obtain |
|---|---|---|
| You, the employer | Decide and sign: negotiated agreement, agreement with the Works Council, project approved by two-thirds of the staff, or adherence to a sectoral agreement; the agreements must be filed. | An agreement that matches your workforce |
| The advisor | Selects the devices, compares the offers, calculates the IFC and the cost to the company | A written comparison and his announced remuneration |
| The chartered accountant | Calculate the participation from the accounts and record the expenses and the IFC commitment. | The figures for the financial year, the accounting entries |
| The manager or the insurer | Maintains employee accounts, investment vehicles, or IFC contracts | Regulations, fees, statements |
Balmont Conseil, a simplified joint-stock company (SASU) established in January 2013 and with no capital ties to any insurer, compares and frames the costs; the agreement is signed by you, and the accounts remain managed by your accountant. See also the executive's supplementary pension.
Our position
Don't entrust employee savings plans to the person who starts with the product. The correct sequence is: your workforce size, your obligations, what you want employees to receive, then the plan itself, and finally the provider. For employee savings plans, first quantify the commitment, employee by employee, before discussing a contract. And require written details of the fees and compensation for each service provider.
Frequently asked questions
Is it still possible to open a PERCO?
No. The PERCO can no longer be set up since October 1, 2020. It is replaced by the collective company PER; an existing PERCO can remain in place or be transformed into a collective PER.
Is it necessary for a company with fewer than 50 employees to implement profit-sharing?
No, it remains optional for companies with fewer than 50 employees. However, for companies with between 11 and 49 employees, an obligation to share the value may apply if the net taxable profit reaches at least 1% of turnover for three consecutive financial years.
Can a provision for the IFC be deducted?
No, according to the BOFiP (French Official Tax Bulletin): a provision for retirement is not deductible. Premiums for an insurance contract that guarantees these benefits are deductible, under certain conditions.
Do you need to put in place a plan or quantify your IFCs?
The first meeting is free, in Lyon or via videoconference: bring your staff, your collective agreement and your latest agreements, and we'll tell you where to start.
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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.
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Alexis Sagnier, financial and real estate investment advisor, insurance broker, AMF certified. ORIAS 13003497. Updated on 24/10/2026.
Official sources consulted
- Service-Public.fr — Collective company retirement savings plan (record F36526, verified on October 12, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Mandatory company retirement savings plan (record F36526, verified on October 12, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Retirement savings plan (PER) (fact sheet F34982, verified on October 12, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Company savings plan (PEE) (fact sheet F2142, verified on January 1, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Profit-sharing (fact sheet F2140, verified on January 1, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Participation (record F2141, verified on July 21, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Social security contribution (fact sheet F31532, verified on January 1, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Value sharing: are you affected by the new obligation? (January 17, 2025)
- Service-Public.fr — Retirement severance pay (fact sheet F13965, verified on January 1, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Mandatory retirement by the employer (fact sheet F13966, verified on November 17, 2025)
- Service-Public.fr — Group retirement savings plan, Perco (fact sheet F10260, verified on June 1, 2026)
- economie.gouv.fr — Employees: everything you need to know about employee savings plans (March 20, 2026)
- economie.gouv.fr — Businesses: what changes on January 1, 2026 (Social Security ceiling: €48,060)
- Urssaf — Retirement benefits
- Urssaf — Savings plans (filing of agreements)
- economie.gouv.fr — Income tax: Do you have to declare your retirement severance pay? (May 28, 2026)
- BOFiP — BOI-BIC-PROV-30-20-10-20, provisions for personnel expenses (version of December 3, 2012)
