Reduced employer social levy (forfait social): 8% for a first profit-sharing agreement in SMEs and 16% for certain PERCO payments

Act no. 2015-990 of 6 August 2015 (the 'Macron' act) creates two reduced rates of the forfait social applying to amounts paid from 1 January 2016. A rate of 8%, instead of 20%, applies for six years to profit-sharing (participation and intéressement) amounts paid by companies not subject to mandatory participation (fewer than 50 employees) that sign a first agreement or have not had one for five years. A rate of 16% applies to profit-sharing and employer top-up amounts paid into a PERCO whose savings are allocated by default to managed portfolios investing at least 7% in SME and mid-cap securities.