The Minister of Digital Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, announced this Thursday a tax advantage for the distribution of stock options, highly anticipated by startups, during an event organized to mark the tenth anniversary of the French technology label.
“The tax administration will authorize young and innovative companies that issue BSPCE (subscription bonds for company creation shares, editor’s note) to apply a discount for illiquidity, to compensate for the gap with other countries that compromised their ability to attract talent” , he announced in front of some 250 businessmen gathered in Bercy.
Specifically, companies could now offer their employees and managers BSPCE, a tool that allows them to buy company shares at a price set in advance. If the stock increases in value, they can resell it, pocketing the capital gain, with very advantageous tax rates. But, until now, the price fixed in advance had to be that of the share at the time of issuance of the BSPCE. From now on, thanks to the authorized discount, companies will be able to offer BSPCE at a price well below the value of the share, which constitutes a much greater potential profit for the beneficiaries.
It is a way for young companies to offer, without spending money, bonuses to employees that they could not pay with market salaries, a technique widely used in Silicon Valley. Emmanuel Macron had already relaxed the BSPCE regime through the “Macron law” of 2015, when he was Minister of Economy.
Tax exemption thresholds for high investments
Another fiscal advantage, continued Jean-Noël Barrot, is that the finance bill for 2024 will increase the tax exemption thresholds (income tax reduction) for investment in young and innovative companies, “a presidential commitment that will remain despite or thanks to 49.3,” he stated. .
To boost the French technology sector and make it known abroad, the then Minister of Digital, Fleur Pellerin, launched the French Tech label in 2013. It then had the support of the investment bank BPIFrance, the Vivatech fair and Station F , one of the largest business incubators.
“Who hasn’t benefited from BPIfrance here?” its general director, Nicolas Dufourcq, joked this Thursday before an audience that included Fleur Pellerin, his successor Mounir Mahjoubi, as well as the head of Free Xavier Niel, creator of Station F. and MP Paul Midy, architect of the young business system included in the 2024 budget.
Clara Chappaz, director of the “French Tech Mission”, recalled the successes of the sector, from Doctolib to Blablacar. “We are at a turning point, the context is difficult but it pushes us to be more ambitious,” she admitted, however, while money for the funds is scarce. The participants warmly applauded the name of Emmanuel Macron, who greatly encouraged the technology sector, which remains one of his faithful followers.
Source: BFM TV
