JANUARY 1ST. At the start of the year, many changes accompany the daily life of the French. We have listed them for you.
[Mis à jour le 04 janvier 2022 à 08h18] You may have noticed it. Since the beginning of the year, many changes have taken place. On January 1, 2022, new regulations and new pricing came into effect. In addition to the increase in the minimum wage, several developments should be noted in the real estate sector. Overview of the main changes accompanying the transition to the new year. Find all the changes for the year 2022 in our dedicated file:
What has changed in real estate since January 1?
Are you planning to carry out a real estate project? Expect to encounter some difficulties as conditions for access to credit tighten. Here is what was recorded:
- The maximum debt ratio is now limited to 35%, including borrower insurance, compared to 33% previously
- The loan period is limited to 25 years, with two years of maximum grace period
To justify this decision, the High Council for Financial Stability says it is worried about the high indebtedness of households, in the context of the crisis.
What changes for the deposit on January 1?
It is an ordinance of September 15, and the entry into force of which is scheduled for 1er January, which shakes up the deposit system. As a reminder, the lessor is entitled to require that a relative, or even several, stand surety in the event of default by the tenant. Objective, to avoid unpaid rents. As the daily explains The echoes, the ordinance redefines the suretyship: “It is the contract by which a surety binds itself towards the creditor to pay the debt of the debtor in the event of default of this one”. Are included rents, charges and restoration work. Another change: the deed can be signed electronically. As a reminder, there are several alternatives to the deposit, such as Visale warranty, which has recently been extended.
What evolution for the minimum wage since January 1?
The new increase in the minimum wage on January 1 is 0.9%, bringing the amount of the minimum wage to 1,603 euros gross on the basis of 35 hours. In November, consumer prices rose 2.8%. As a reminder, the minimum wage benefits each year from a mechanical increase, assessed according to the inflation observed for the 20% of households with the lowest incomes and half of the gain in purchasing power of the basic hourly wage of workers and employees. (SHBOE).
Did the price of the stamp increase on January 1?
Lovers of letter-writing conversations, expect the bill to be even steeper. Postal rates have, in fact, been raised once again. Here is what awaits you since the 1er January 2022:
- Red stamp (priority letter): 1.43 euro
- Green stamp: 1.16 euro
- Letter followed: 1.66 euro
- Ecopli: 1.14 euro
- Registered letter: 4.55 euros
What rates for the motorways since January 1?
The prices of the main motorway networks must increase by 2% on average on February 1, 2022. The Autoroutes du Sud de la France network must increase its prices by 2.19%. The APRR (Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône), for its part, must raise its prices by 2.05%. The bill may therefore be higher.
What about retirements since January 1?
Since the 1er January 2022, the retirement pensions of the general scheme were revalued by 1.1%, below inflation. Last year, the revaluation was only 0.4%. If you are concerned, you will receive this very slight increase on your January 2022 pension, paid in February. Note: it is also at this time that you will receive the premium of 100 euros, if you received a pension of less than 2,000 euros net last October. This decision comes as the retreats complementary to Agirc-Arrco – for retirees from the private sector – were increased by 1% to 1er last november.
What has become of the income tax scale since January 1?
The scale ofincome tax was revalued by 1.4% in 2022, due to the rise in consumer prices. This new scale concerns income received in 2021 and that you will mention in your income tax return in the spring of 2022. Here is the full scale of income tax that applies in 2022, according to the finance bill, presented in mid-September:
- Taxable income below 10,225 euros: 0%
- Between 10,225 euros and 26,070 euros of taxable income: 11%
- Between 26,070 euros and 74,545 euros of taxable income: 30%
- Between 74,545 euros and 160,336 euros of taxable income: 41%
- Taxable income over 160,336 euros: 45%
What change for the housing tax?
After a first reduction of 30%, wealthy taxpayers, still subject to the housing tax on their main residence, benefit from a reduction of their local tax of 65% in 2022. The definitive disappearance of the housing tax is programmed in 2023. Please note, you will remain liable for this tax beyond 2023 if you are owner of a second home. Consult our dedicated file to find out more:
What evolution for the property tax since January 1?
Homeowners, expect the bill to be much higher. According to INSEE assessments, the local tax is expected to increase by 3.4% in 2022, the “biggest increase since the start of the century”, according to Capital.fr.
What about the home employment tax credit?
No longer having to wait to receive a first deposit in mid-January, then the rest in the summer? the tax credit for the employment of an employee at home becomes contemporary, in other words, the taxpayers will measure the benefit every month. The Urssafs unveiled the implementation schedule. After an experiment in Paris and in the North, the service was extended to all taxpayers of these two departments using the Cesu service. All you need to do is log into your Cesu account to activate the option. You must have subscribed to Cesu + upstream. Since January 2022, the measure has been extended to the entire territory “for all direct employers”, we told Capital.fr. In April 2022, it will be the turn of households using a service provider.
And donations to associations?
This is a measure that should encourage you to be particularly generous, right from the start of the year. The raising of the ceiling of the tax advantage to 750 euros for donations to associations helping people in difficulty has been extended, until December 31, 2023! The so-called Coluche tax reduction allows you to benefit from a tax advantage of 75% up to a limit of 552 euros. During the crisis, the ceiling had been raised to 1,000 euros. This same limit is retained for two more years. The maximum tax reduction therefore amounts to 750 euros.
What rate for the livret A since January 1?
Due to the trend in inflation, the rate of regulated savings accounts could well be revised upwards. As a reminder, the livret A rate has been blocked at 0.5% since 1er February 2020. As recently recalled by the Capital.fr site, the passbook rate must be equal to “the arithmetic mean between the half-yearly average of short-term rates in euros (€ STR) and inflation in France measured by the average half-yearly of the variation over the last twelve known months of the monthly INSEE consumer price index, excluding tobacco “. The rate for the livret A and the LDD could thus be set between 0.6% and 0.8%. Patience however, it will surely be necessary to wait until the beginning of 2022 for the government to take a decision, or not, in this direction. Would you like to know more about the alternatives to the A booklet? Consult our file without delay: