Beware of the unpleasant surprise on the first salary of the year.
This is one of the small changes of the new year, but too few French people pay attention to it. It must be said that if the devil is in the details, curiosity is not always aroused to the point of reading all the little lines. However, this is what some employees will have to do when they receive their pay slip at the end of January.
The first pay of the year 2025 will in fact vary and the net salary to be paid at the bottom of the sheet could be different from usual: either higher or lower. No need to run furiously to HR departments, this is not an error on your part. This change is rather due to a choice on your part, made several weeks or months ago.
Every month, taxes automatically deduct part of the salary. However, during the year 2024, millions of French people did not hesitate to modify their withholding tax rate. The objective: stick to your income as much as possible in order to not pay too much but also to be deducted sufficiently so that the balance to be paid at the end of the year is not too high. However, it is because of this intervention that the January salary could vary for many taxpayers.
When you change your withholding tax rate yourself during a year, it only applies until December 31. From January 1, the rate automatically calculated by taxes is implemented. However, if this is different from the one you yourself set up, this will cause a variation in the salary received.
It is always possible to intervene in this situation. If the rate applied from January 1st does not suit you, simply go to your personal tax space, click on the “Manage my withholding tax” section then choose the rate you wish to be. applied. By carrying out this action, this rate will apply from the February salary. It’s up to you to calculate carefully so as not to have a bad surprise during your next tax return…