Since 1 January 2026, the deductible ceiling for pension savings (article 111bis L.I.R.) has risen from €3,200 to €4,500 per year per taxpayer — a 40% increase that changes the maths for every saver. The conditions are unchanged: a contract of at least 10 years, subscription before age 65, payout between 60 and 75, early surrender prohibited except for serious illness or invalidity. At maturity, capital is taxed at half the global rate and a life annuity is 50% tax-exempt.
The four main contracts on the market differ first by their financial engine. easyLIFE Pension (LALUX) offers two regimes: Security, with a guaranteed minimum rate plus profit sharing, and Performance, in investment units with a death floor equal to premiums paid — from €25/month. MySmartPension (AXA) combines a guaranteed base at 1.25% with profit sharing and unit-linked funds under lifecycle management (risk automatically decreases as retirement approaches). Pension Plan (Baloise) focuses on management flexibility — piloted, profiled or free, with access to ETFs and ESG options. horizon (Foyer) is a unit-linked contract whose funds are managed by CapitalatWork, with ESG vehicles and a partial capital-protection option.
The choice usually comes down to one trade-off: the safety of a guaranteed rate (LALUX Security, AXA’s base) versus the potential of investment units (Baloise in free management, Foyer horizon) — knowing that all allow flexible payments and that the tax advantage is identical everywhere. For the details of the new ceiling and exit taxation, see our 2026 111bis ceiling guide.
The criteria that actually matter
- Guaranteed or unit-linked: protected capital versus return potential — the structuring choice.
- Fees: entry and management fees eat directly into returns — compare line by line.
- ESG / ETF vehicles: free management with ETFs at Baloise, ESG funds at Foyer and Baloise.
- Entry ticket: from €25/month at LALUX, €50/month at AXA and Baloise.
- Payout options: capital, annuity or a mix — check the flexibility at maturity.