The tax return period is often synonymous with headaches for many French people, especially when it comes to finding ways to reduce their tax bill as much as possible. As our colleagues at L’Internaute remind us, “certain lines of the form must be read carefully because they can reduce the final bill”. However, the complexity of the explanations very often discourages more than one taxpayer. apply for a tax reduction – even though there are little-known but very effective schemes.
The famous box L
Among the tips not to be overlooked, there is the famous box L of the tax return which is aimed at a specific category of taxpayers: parents who are single, separated, divorced or widowed, who live alone on January 1, 2024 and who have raised only one (or more) adult children not attached to the tax household for at least five years.
This situation is often the consequence of difficult life paths (such as separations, accidents or deaths) and is taken into account by the tax authorities, which then grant a substantial tax reduction in France. The Internet user gives a concrete and explicit example: “a mother who raised alone for at least 5 years, while being single during this period, who today still lives alone and whose child (over 18 years old) has now left home to work, has the right to tick the box L”.
The benefit is not negligible for the latter: up to 1050 euros of savings on the total amount of tax to be paid, an amount calculated in proportion to resources for households whose annual income is less than 35,000 euros and set to 1,050 euros above this threshold. According to a report published by the Court of Auditors, more than 1.2 million households benefit from this tax reduction each year, for an average gain of around 500 euros. Our colleagues also point out that "all people meeting the criteria can claim this tax reduction, regardless of their income level.".
As a reminder, the 2024 income tax return campaign began on April 10, 2025. Taxpayers must meet specific deadlines depending on their department and their method of declaration: the deadline for paper declarations is May 20, 2025, while online declarations must be made between May 22 and June 5, 2025, depending on your geographic area. As L'Internaute points out, "Online declarations are now the norm, but paper declarations are still possible in certain very limited cases." You must keep these dates in mind to avoid late payment penalties.
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