This year, the largest companies are particularly solicited to participate in the effort to restore the public accounts as part of the 2025 finance law.

Introduction of new taxes

Thus, an exceptional contribution on profits is imposed on large companies for one year, at a rate of 20.6% when their turnover is between €1 billion and €3 billion or 41.2% when it exceeds €3 billion. It is calculated on the average of the corporate income tax due for 2024 and 2025 (budget year ending December 31). In practice, it will give rise to an advance payment of 98% with the last corporate income tax installment due, for most companies, on December 15, 2025, and to the payment, if applicable, of the balance when the corporate tax is settled, i.e., in general, on May 15, 2026.

In addition, large companies (turnover ≥ €1 billion) are targeted by the creation of an 8% tax on capital reductions following the buyback of their own shares.

Note: This new tax applies to transactions carried out from March 1, 2025. A temporary tax, to be declared from April 2025, applies to the same operations carried out between March 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025.

Furthermore, a new annual tax is imposed on companies that have a fleet of at least one hundred light vehicles (passenger and commercial vehicles), whether they own or lease them, to encourage them to comply with their obligation to acquire low-emission vehicles.

Finally, this includes a temporary limitation on the carry-forward of losses exceeding €2.5 billion.

Restructuring tax credits

On the corporate tax credit side, the finance law makes several changes. Thus, since February 15, 2025, certain expenses have been excluded from the research tax credit (patents, plant variety certificates, technology watch) or less well considered (reduction in the flat rate used to determine operating expenses, end of the increased rate for “young doctors”).

On the other hand, the SME innovation tax credit has been extended until the end of 2027 despite a rate reduction from 30% to 20% as of January 1, 2025.

In addition, the tax credit for executive training has been abolished, as has the tax reduction for membership of an approved management organization.

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