The Livret A is a government-regulated savings account available through French banks. Its main attractions are that interest is exempt from tax and social charges, and the money can be withdrawn at any time without penalty.
It is France’s most widely held savings account, with around 58 million accounts at the end of 2025. The Banque de France reports that 83% of the population held one.
The funds collected are used in part to finance social housing and other public-interest projects.
There is no residence qualification for this savings account, so non-residents can hold an account. However, interest is normally taxable in their country of residence.
The Livret A ceiling has remained unchanged at €22,950 since 1 January 2013. The limit applies separately to each person, including children, rather than to the household as a whole. A family of four, for example, can therefore hold up to €91,800 between them, provided each family member has their own account.
The new ceiling will be set somewhere between €25,000 and €30,000. The exact figure has not yet been decided.
The increase will take effect on 1st February 2027.
The ceiling applies to deposits, rather than the total balance, including accumulated interest. Consequently, an account can exceed €22,950 through the addition of interest even though the holder cannot make further deposits.
A recent proposal by France’s National Auditor (Cour des comptes) would tax the interest earned on any part of a balance that exceeds the deposit ceiling. It has not been adopted by the government or Parliament.
The ceiling increase will coincide with the next review of the Livret A interest rate on 1st February 2027.
The current rate is 1.70%, following the increase introduced on 1 August 2026.
No new rate has yet been announced but a figure of 2.5% is being reported as a possible new rate.
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