April unveils your budget with no detours. As every beginning of the month, new measures come into effect as of April 1st, affecting budgets and daily life. From changes in tariffs, regulatory modifications, to new deadlines, we outline what awaits you in April 2026.
Taxes
The 2026 campaign for declaring income taxes for 2025 begins on Thursday, April 9, 2026. From this date, you will have between six to eight weeks to verify and, if necessary, complete your declaration on the impots.gouv.fr website.
If the exact date has not yet been communicated by the government, for individuals living in departments numbered 01 to 19, the deadline should be around May 20. It will be the end of May for departments 20 to 54, and early June for departments 55 and above. Note that those who submit their declaration on paper will apparently have until May 20 to transmit it.
Earned income tax credit
A boost for many employees. The earned income tax credit, paid monthly by the Caf to individuals working and whose income is close to the minimum wage, will benefit from an average increase of 50%. A boost that will benefit around 3 million households. This is due to the increase in the individual bonus,” said the Ministry of Labour. This increase will be visible in the payment on May 5.
To qualify for this credit, you must be at least 18 years old, reside in France, and earn a salary of up to 1.3 times the minimum wage. This assistance varies from around 10 to 180 euros depending on the household composition. To benefit, you must apply on the website of your Caf or MSA (Agricultural Social Security).
Social assistance
As every year, on April 1st, the benefits provided by Caf and MSA will be adjusted to follow the 0.9% inflation of 2025. In 2026, the RSA will be increased to 653.33 euros per month (for a single person) and the AAH (Disabled Adult Allowance) to a maximum of 1,042.62 euros per month.
Family allowances and housing benefits will also be adjusted, but the amount depends on the household composition and income.
Fuel assistance
In April, small and medium-sized businesses facing difficulties will benefit from an exceptional assistance of 20 cents per liter of fuel for each vehicle, announced by Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot on March 27. A similar assistance will also be provided for fishermen, for a total amount of 55 million euros.
Farmers will also receive assistance on their supply of GNR as the government will waive excise duties, resulting in an estimated gain of around 14 million euros.
Energy voucher
Households with modest incomes will receive an energy voucher in April. The amount will range from 48 to 277 euros, depending on the specifics of each household. The distribution of this aid, benefiting around 3.5 million households, will be spread over the four weeks of April, depending on your department.
If this distribution is supposed to be automatic, it is possible that eligible individuals may not have been considered. If this applies to you, you will need to file a claim online or by mail. “A campaign of communication (email, SMS, postal mail) informing potential beneficiaries who have not been automatically contacted will begin from April 1st,” indicates the government website dedicated to this aid.
Medical co-payment
The increases in healthcare costs continue. After the hospital fees were increased in March, the co-payment for expensive medical treatments will increase by 8 euros. The co-payment will now be 32 euros for procedures costing over 120 euros (or with a coefficient of at least 60), compared to 24 euros previously.
Gas prices
In good news, gas prices will once again decrease in April. According to the CRE’s decision, the new reference price of gas will slightly decrease by 0.7%. For customers served by GRDF, the price per kWh will go from 0.136 to 0.135 euros for cooking and hot water usage, and from 0.105 to 0.104 euros for heating.
This slight decrease comes as the reference price of gas may soar in May due to the Middle Eastern conflict.
Parcoursup
The journey for future baccalaureate students on Parcoursup ends on April 1st, awaiting responses from schools and universities. High school students have until Wednesday at midnight to submit their complete application, with all elements requested by the programs (motivation letter, etc.) and confirm their choices.
However, the platform suggests not waiting until the last moment to finalize your application, as the website is still very busy and could lead to delays in the final hours. If you choose apprenticeship programs, “you can still submit choices after April 1st,” reminds the Parcoursup website.
Vacation and sick leave
Since April 24, 2024, every salaried employee on sick leave is entitled to paid leave during their sick leave. Paid leave of two days per month of sick leave. This provision also applies retroactively between December 2009 and April 23, 2024,” explains the Service-public website. But not for much longer.
If you wish to use your vacation days during sick leave taken between December 1st, 2009, and April 23, 2024, you have until April 23, 2026, to submit your request.
