The senators in turn embarked on the examination of the package of measures in favor of purchasing power: they voted in committee, after having amended it, the “emergency” bill whose examination will begin Thursday in the hemicycle, we learned on Tuesday.
Like the deputies, they will tackle in the crowd the amending finance bill for 2022 (PLFR), an additional component expected in the hemicycle of the Palais du Luxembourg at the start of next week, but still under debate on Tuesday at the Palais Bourbon.
The bill “emergency for the protection of purchasing power” is supposed to respond to inflation as the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
It provides for a series of measures including the tripling of up to 6,000 euros in the tax-free bonuses that companies can pay their employees (extension until December 31, 2023 of the “Macron bonus”); a 4% increase in retirement pensions and several allowances (family, social minima) with retroactive effect from July 1, 2022; deconjugalization of the handicapped adult allowance (AAH); as well as various measures to deal with the risks of energy shortage.
Possibility of unlocking employee savings in advance
In committee, the senators, mostly on the right, have notably tightened the system which must perpetuate from 2024 the “Macron bonus” in the private sector. They limited only to companies with less than 50 employees the perpetuation of this “value sharing bonus”, renamed “purchasing power bonus”, which will only be exempt from social charges.
They also limited the possible splitting of the bonus during the year to four installments, to prevent it from replacing salary increases.
The senators also created a reduction in employer contributions, the amount of which would be fixed by decree, for overtime.
For rapporteur Frdrique Puissat (LR), “it is a question of limiting the additional cost for employers associated with these overtime hours”. This amendment is “therefore the necessary complement” to the tax measures in favor of overtime adopted by the National Assembly as part of the PLFR.
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The deputies approved on Friday an increase in the tax exemption ceiling for overtime worked by employees to 7,500 euros for the year 2022.
In committee, the senators also provided for the possibility of early release of employee savings.
They have further relaxed the rules for using meal vouchers. An amendment provides that they are authorized, until December 31, 2023, for the purchase of any food product, whether or not it is directly edible.
The government had for its part announced that the daily ceiling for these meal vouchers would be increased by decree from 19 to 25 euros.