Sébastien Lecornu pledges corporate tax cuts and rejects employee savings levy
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu unveiled fiscal measures for the 2027 budget, proposing lower taxes on corporate profits and ruling out levies on workplace savings.
Corporate tax relief and the stability pact
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu outlined his fiscal strategy for the 2027 budget in a letter sent to corporate executives, revealed by Le Figaro and BFMTV on 9 September 2026. The head of government announced that the exceptional surtax on the profits of large companies, established in 2025 for a duration of one year, will decrease in the upcoming 2027 budget. Lecornu presented business leaders with a stability pact, offering regulatory visibility and predictability in exchange for corporate commitments to economic growth. The planned fiscal package covers corporate income tax adjustments, company transmission provisions, and reductions in certain public subsidies for businesses. Lecornu explained the decision to reduce the corporate surtax in his written message.
It responded to an exceptional situation: what is exceptional must remain exceptional.
Dispute over employee savings
The prime minister's message followed several days of public disagreement over potential budget measures. On 6 September 2026, Les Echos reported that the administration was studying social security contributions on employee profit-sharing bonuses, participation payouts, and employer matching funds in collective savings plans. The leaked option aimed to generate 1 billion euros to narrow the Social Security deficit. On the morning of 7 September 2026, Economy Minister Roland Lescure stated on RTL radio that the idea was one of several paths under examination for the social security budget. Lecornu contradicted that statement on the social media network X later the same day, insisting that no such taxation had ever been formally planned.
It was never a question of touching employee savings.
Legal action against budget leaks
Following the report in Les Echos, the prime minister's office clarified that the leaked text was an unapproved working draft. On the evening of 7 September 2026, Lecornu filed a formal complaint with the judicial system to trace the origin of the leak. Government officials noted that repeated disclosures in national media had disrupted the finalization of the two 2027 finance bills for the State and Social Security. Ministers speaking after the incident described frustration within Matignon regarding leaks while the executive worked to construct a viable parliamentary budget.
- Les Echos reports on a draft proposal to tax employee savings to raise 1 billion euros
- Roland Lescure discusses options on RTL, and Sébastien Lecornu refers the leak to justice
- Lecornu denies tax plans and backs a 5,000-euro tax-free withdrawal bill by Olivier Rietmann
- Lecornu sends a letter to corporate leaders pledging lower corporate profit surtaxes
Proposed withdrawal rules for workers
Rather than introducing new levies on company savings schemes, the government decided to support easier access to accumulated assets. On 8 September 2026, Lecornu announced backing for a legislative proposal authored by Les Républicains Senator Olivier Rietmann. The text, which the Senate approved during the spring of 2026, enables employees to unlock up to 5,000 euros from their workplace savings plans on an exceptional basis without paying taxes or social security contributions. Lecornu requested that the National Assembly examine and vote on the measure before the end of 2026, arguing that workers should have direct access to the funds they have saved themselves.
