The tax authorities have just sent a surprising email: it is important to read it

The tax authorities have just contacted a number of French people by email, and it's best to take a closer look at the information provided.

In recent days, the Directorate General of Public Finances (DGFiP) has appeared in the inboxes of millions of French people. Good news? Bad news? Generally, when taxes arrive, it's a source of anxiety. While an email from the tax authorities should arrive at the end of the month indicating the exact amount to be paid or reimbursed by the Treasury, this time the DGFiP is talking about something completely different.

For most French people, taxes mean paying. Rightly so, of course, but not only that. Filing your tax return also allows you to gain certain rights, sometimes unknown to the general public, based on the income reported to the tax authorities. This is the purpose of the communication sent by the Ministry of Finance.

The email's subject line isn't very appealing. Its title: "Have you considered the Livret d'Épargne Populaire (LEP)?" However, it's worth opening and reading carefully because it could bring in some money. As its name suggests, the LEP is a savings account, and it works like the Livret A. You can freely deposit and withdraw money from it, immediately, and it generates interest, without paying taxes.

This is where the LEP is attractive. Indeed, its yield is higher than that of the Livret A. Currently, its rate is 3.5%, compared to 2.4% for its big brother. On August ¹ , these rates will be revised downward and should be around 2.2% for the LEP and 1.7% for the Livret A.

To better measure the gap, a person who has €5,000 invested in both savings accounts will receive, at the end of 2025, €186.25 in interest thanks to the LEP, compared to €129.58 thanks to the Livret A, i.e. an additional amount of almost €57. Hence the interest in looking into this system.

But this isn't open to everyone. It depends on an income ceiling, detailed on theservice-public.fr website. Furthermore, it's not possible to deposit more than €10,000 into it. Beyond that, only interest accrues, but no payments can be made. And only one LEP can be opened per person.

Available to the less well-off, the LEP is seen as a veritable financial lifeline. "Low-income households have been dipping into their savings to cover their expenses," notes Philippe Crevel, director of the Cercle de l'épargne (Savings Circle).

Please note, however, that every year, banks check the income of those who hold a LEP: if the ceiling is exceeded, the account is closed and the money transferred to another account.