In summary…
A good advisor is one who quantifies each lever in euros for your household, which respects the tax loophole ceiling (€10,000 per year (for most of the benefits) and which tells you in writing how it is paid. The legal levers are known: contributions to a retirement savings plan (PER), property deficit, donations, subscriptions to the capital of SMEs, and, for the real estate wealth tax (IFI), deductible debts and exempt assets. None of them are worthwhile without considering your tax bracket and your assets.
Balmont Conseil is a firm not independent In regulatory terms: he receives commissions on contracts signed, and can also bill for a customized service by the hour. We tell you this from the very first contact.
How can you pay less tax without breaking the law? The answer starts with sorting through your options: some measures reduce income tax, others the wealth tax (IFI), some count towards a tax ceiling, others don't. A helpful advisor will sort through your figures, not just a brochure.
1. What can actually be optimized, based on official figures
The values below are those published by the administration on the date of this article's update (2026 tax, on 2025 income).
| Lever | Official figures | Condition to remember |
|---|---|---|
| PER (tax-deductible contributions) | A maximum deduction of 10 % from your 2025 professional income for payments made in 2026 €37,680, Or €4,710 if this amount is higher | You declare the payments; your personal limit is shown on your tax notice. |
| Property deficit | €10,700 deductible from total income per year; €21,400 for energy renovation work paid for between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2027 | Property rented for three years; for the €21,400, property upgraded from energy class E, F or G to A, B, C or D; loan interest excluded (carried forward to rental income for the following ten years) |
| Charitable gifts | Reduction of 66% within the limit of 20 % of taxable income; 75% for assistance to people in difficulty, up to €2,000 per year for donations made since October 14, 2025 | The surplus above 20 % is carried forward to the following five years |
| Subscription to the capital of SMEs (IR-PME) | Reduction of 18% sums paid, up to a limit of €50,000 (single) or €100,000 (couple) | Securities held for five years; investment without capital guarantee; eligible company |
The value of these figures depends on your tax bracket. 2026 tax brackets per share: 0 (%) up to €11,600, 11 (%) up to €29,579, 30 (%) up to €84,577, 41 (%) up to €181,917, 45 (%) above that. Example: A €1,000 deduction reduces the tax by €300 in the 30 (%) bracket, and by €410 in the 41 (%) bracket. Therefore, you start with the tax bracket, never with the income.
Details of two of these levers: PER deduction limit and Land deficit and rental obligation.
2. The cap on tax breaks: €10,000 per year per household
The overall ceiling is €10,000 per year per tax household. He goes up to €18,000 for certain overseas investments and for subscribing to the capital of a Sofica. According to economie.gouv.fr (page dated April 16, 2026), count within the ceiling: the tax credit for childcare, the employment of a home-based employee, the Pinel scheme, the Denormandie scheme, forestry investments, the IR-PME reduction and Loc'Avantages. They don't count : donations to associations, the Malraux reduction and expenses deductible from total income, including payments into a PER.
Specifically. Before making any new investment, ask for a one-line table per benefit, with the total compared to €10,000.
Another safeguard exists at the top of the scale: the 2026 Finance Act renewed the differential tax on high incomes, which aims to guarantee a minimum tax rate of 20% for households whose 2025 reference tax income exceeds €250,000 (single) or €500,000 (couple). See Tax break caps: €10,000 or €18,000.
3. The IFI: threshold, scale and what is included in the calculation
You pay the IFI when the net value of your real estate assets exceeds 1.3 million euros as of January 1st. Once this threshold is crossed, the calculation begins at €800,000. Scale in effect in 2026:
| Portion of taxable net assets | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to €800,000 | 0% |
| From €800,001 to €1,300,000 | 0.50% |
| From €1,300,001 to €2,570,000 | 0.70% |
| From €2,570,001 to €5,000,000 | 1% |
| From €5,000,001 to €10,000,000 | 1.25% |
| Over €10,000,000 | 1.50% |
Between 1.3 and 1.4 million euros, a discount applies: 17,500 € less 1.25 % of the net taxable assets (625 € for 1,350,000 €).
The levers specific to the IFI
- Main residence : a reduction of 30 % on its value.
- Deductible debts Purchase loans, renovation and maintenance costs borne by the owner, and property taxes are deductible, provided they are justified and related to the taxable assets. For very large estates (more than 5 million euros in taxable assets), the portion of debt exceeding 60% of the asset value is only deductible up to 50%.
- Goods exempt or partially exempt, subject to conditions : real estate used for your professional activity, woods and forests under management contract, rural properties rented on a long-term basis, furnished for professional rental.
- Charitable gifts : IFI reduction of 75 % of donations, up to €50,000.
- Capping : if IFI and income taxes exceed 75 % of your worldwide income from the previous year, the difference is refunded as a reduction.
Detention facility. Holding a building through a company does not exempt it from the French wealth tax (IFI): shares in real estate companies are taxed based on the value of the properties they hold. The company changes the management and transfer of ownership, but not the fact that the building is included in the taxable income. Full calculation: IFI: threshold, scale, 30% allowance, % and debts.
Specifically. The IFI is calculated on the value of your assets on January 1st and on the debts that exist on that date: prepare these two lists before December.
For the technician. Overall cap on tax benefits: Article 200-0 A of the French General Tax Code (CGI), explained in the Official Bulletin of Public Finances (BOI-IR-LIQ-20-20-10-20). Limits on deducting retirement savings contributions: BOI-IR-BASE-20-50-20. Offsetting property deficits: BOI-RFPI-BASE-30-20. Income tax reduction for SMEs: BOI-IR-RICI-90-20-10. Tax reduction for donations: BOI-IR-RICI-250-30.
4. What you ask an advisor
- An estimate in euros, lever by lever, for your home and for the current year.
- For the IFI, the list of assets included, assets excluded and debts deducted, with the value date.
- Its status: independent or not independent, and its registration number with ORIAS, which you check yourself on the register.
- His compensation, in euros, for each recommendation.
Regarding remuneration, see How much does a wealth management advisor cost in Lyon?, and regarding the required documents, What to ask a wealth manager in Lyon.
At Balmont Conseil: how a consultant is paid, step by step
Balmont Conseil is a simplified joint-stock company (SASU) established in January 2013. We have been supporting business leaders, professionals, and families for nearly 14 years. We are financial investment advisors, members of ANACOFI-CIF, and insurance brokers, registered with ORIAS under number 13003497. We work with 23 partner companies and asset management firms and have no financial ties to any bank or insurer.
| Step | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Contract X-ray : your statements, their charges calculated in euros | Free |
| Initial meeting, in Lyon or via videoconference | Free |
| Balance sheet | Fixed price announced |
| Customized mission | €500 including VAT per hour |
| Contracts signed through us | Commissions paid by the provider. Example: entry fees of 0.5 % on Luxembourg assurance-vie contracts |
| Annual follow-up, possible remotely | Free |
The details are on the page Offers & fees. We are a firm not independent Part of our compensation comes from the contracts you sign.
Our position
Optimizing means prioritizing: first, what's quantifiable and doesn't tie up capital (retirement savings plans, debts, tax-exempt assets), then what ties up your money (small businesses, renovations), never the other way around. A tax advantage doesn't justify an investment: if the product doesn't make sense without the tax savings, it doesn't make sense with them. Choose an advisor who shows you the total of your benefits below the limit and tells you when there's nothing to do. Ask everyone, including us.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to cancel one's IFI (French wealth tax)?
It is reduced using the existing mechanisms: deductible debts, exempt assets under certain conditions, a 30% allowance on the primary residence, a 75% reduction for donations (maximum €50,000), and a 75% cap on income. It is not eliminated through ownership structures: real estate held by a company remains counted.
Do contributions to a PER (Retirement Savings Plan) count towards the €10,000 limit?
No. According to economie.gouv.fr, expenses deductible from total income are not subject to the overall cap. Contributions to a PER (Retirement Savings Plan) have their own limit: 10% of 2025 professional income, up to a maximum of €37,680 for contributions made in 2026.
Do we need an advisor based in Lyon?
No. With us, the first meeting takes place in Lyon or via videoconference, and the annual follow-up can be done remotely.
Do you want the value of each lever for your household?
The initial consultation is free, either in Lyon or via videoconference. Please bring your most recent tax assessment and, for wealth tax (IFI) purposes, a list of your assets and debts. A review of your contracts is also free.
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
- Service-Public.fr — Calculation of the real estate wealth tax (fact sheet F138, verified on March 6, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — IFI: persons and assets concerned (fact sheet F563, verified on March 6, 2026)
- economie.gouv.fr — How does the real estate wealth tax (IFI) work? (page dated May 23, 2025)
- economie.gouv.fr — The overall cap on tax benefits (page dated April 16, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Retirement savings plan: deduction of contributions (fact sheet F14709, verified on April 15, 2026)
- economie.gouv.fr — All you need to know about the land deficit (page dated September 9, 2026)
- economie.gouv.fr — Donations to charities: what tax reduction (page dated March 2, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Income tax reduction for SMEs for capital subscriptions (fact sheet F37091, verified on October 22, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Income tax: tax brackets and rates for 2026 (February 23, 2026)
- economie.gouv.fr — 2026 Finance Law: what changes for individuals (February 20, 2026)
- AMF — «What you need to know about financial investment advisors?» (October 19, 2018)
