In 2020, the exceptional purchasing power premium is reserved for companies that have implemented a profit-sharing agreement. - IStock / City Presse

The years go by and look the same ... At the end of 2018, the government faced the movement of "yellow vests". To calm the anger of those who are struggling to finish the month without being in the red, the state hastily promulgated a law on economic and social emergency measures on December 24.

Among the various gestures granted, it is the exceptional purchasing power premium, or "Macron premium", which has particularly marked the spirits. Left to the free choice of private companies, this tax gift made it possible to pay some 2.2 billion euros to 5.5 million employees, according to the balance sheet presented by the Prime Minister, Édouard Philippe, in the fall. On average, beneficiaries received 400 euros, while 30% of the premiums reached the maximum ceiling set at 1,000 euros. A boost, certainly punctual, but still welcome after the holiday season. Building on this popular success, the government has therefore announced that it will renew the operation for 2020 ... but not on the same conditions.

Tax exemption on the agenda

The basic principle of this exceptional bonus does not change. It should be remembered that this type of bonus is usually subject, like wages, to social security contributions and social security contributions, before being taken into account in the calculation of income tax. However, the legislator decided to make an exception to the rule. As in 2019, the amount granted in this context - at the discretion of companies - will be exempt from taxes, employee and employer contributions and social security contributions up to 1,000 euros, subject to not substituting for an increase or another bonus and to be paid before June 30, 2020.

On the beneficiary side, the base remains at first sight broad since, as before, all employees whose monthly remuneration is less than three times the minimum wage, in other words those who earn less than 3,600 euros net per month full time, can receive it . Except that in practice, a change in size makes all the difference…

The issue of the profit-sharing agreement

For 2020, the government has indeed added a new condition: only companies that have implemented a profit-sharing agreement will be able to allocate this exceptional bonus. As a reminder, this optional employee savings measure is already aimed at rewarding staff since it consists in paying employees an annual bonus proportional to the results or performance of their company. The government's objective is therefore to encourage entrepreneurs to move from a one-off boost to a sustainable bonus since this agreement is concluded for three years.

Today, it is mainly large companies that have this type of device, while its complexity and implications put off small companies. If the State has promised to soften the procedure (agreement reduced to one year) and to support entrepreneurs to pass the course, the professionals predict a failure. According to a recent survey carried out by the Syndicate of independents, the obligation to set up a profit-sharing agreement will lead 87% of VSE bosses not to pay the exceptional purchasing power bonus in 2020, while 81 % would be ready to do so if the conditions were identical to those of 2019. If these estimates were verified, this would therefore deprive the least socially advantaged employees of a tax gift that was originally intended to target them .

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