Tax and budget · Tax
Pension savings 2026: how much do I get back?
Updated on
For 2026, €1,050 of pension savings paid in before 31 December gives you back €315 in tax (30%), and about €337 with a municipal tax of 7%. If you ask your bank or insurer, you can pay in up to €1,350: the reduction then becomes 25% of the whole amount, i.e. €337.50.
Watch out for the trap: between €1,050 and €1,260, the second ceiling brings in less than stopping at €1,050, and the choice applies to the whole year. And the reduction cannot exceed your tax: the tool checks both for your profile.
Your pension savings
Enter what you pay in 2026 and your profile. Indexo calculates the tax reduction, including municipal tax, checks which ceiling works best and shows the multi-year view.
The tool could not be displayed. Reload the page (Cmd + Shift + R on a Mac, Ctrl + F5 on a PC).
How much each amount paid in gives you back
The reduction is calculated on what you pay in during the year, within one of the two ceilings. The municipal tax, calculated on federal tax, also goes down: the real reduction is therefore slightly higher. In green, the best choice for each amount.
| Payment | Without requesting the second ceiling | Second ceiling requested |
|---|---|---|
| €500 | €160.50 | €133.75 |
| €800 | €256.80 | €214.00 |
| €1,050 | €337.05 | €280.88 |
| €1,200 | €337.05 | €321.00 |
| €1,260 | €337.05 | €337.05 |
| €1,300 | €337.05 | €347.75 |
| €1,350 | €337.05 | €361.13 |
Ceilings for 2027 income: not yet published. This page will include them as soon as they are published.
€1,050 or €1,350?
Since 2018, there have been two ceilings. The first, €1,050, gives 30%. The second, €1,350, gives 25%, but on the whole amount: it only applies if you ask your bank or insurer for it.
25% of €1,350 makes €337.50, against €315 for 30% of €1,050. But the second ceiling has no floor: once requested, every payment gives 25%, however small. €1,200 paid in gives €300, i.e. €15 less than at €1,050 without the request. The second ceiling only pays off from €1,260 paid in (FPS Finance, cited by the OECCBB).
In practice: pay in €1,050, or €1,350 with a request for the second ceiling. Nothing in between.
When the reduction is of no use
The pension savings reduction cannot exceed the tax due, and it is not refunded beyond that. On a low salary, your tax is sometimes already very low, or zero after the tax-free amount and the fiscal work bonus.
For example, a single white-collar worker on €1,700 gross a month gets back €337.05 for €1,050 paid in, according to Indexo’s estimate. Enter your salary in the tool to check.
Over several years: the 8% tax at age 60
When you turn 60, an anticipatory tax of 8% is levied on your pension savings capital. If the contract was taken out after age 55, it is levied on the 10th anniversary of the contract. After that, the capital is no longer taxed at maturity, and payments made after age 60 still give a reduction.
Example: at age 30, you pay in €1,050 a year until age 60. You pay in €31,500 and get back €10,112 in tax, at 2026 amounts. The 8% tax on the payments alone would come to €2,520: the net tax benefit, excluding returns, is about €7,592. With returns, the tax applies to a larger capital, but the capital is larger too.
A withdrawal before age 60 is taxed more heavily. Before choosing a pension savings fund or insurance, compare the entry and management fees: they weigh on returns. Indicative information: your bank or insurer knows the rules of your contract.
Other actions to take before 31 December
Pension savings are not the only expense that reduces your 2026 tax. Donations, childcare expenses and service vouchers in Wallonia also count: see the year-end tax checklist. For the effect on your tax refund or tax to pay, see tax refund or tax to pay.
Frequently asked questions
Until when can I pay in for 2026?
Until 31 December 2026: the payment date is what counts. An order placed on the last day may arrive too late: check your bank’s or insurer’s deadline.
How do I get the €1,350 ceiling?
By asking your bank or insurer, who shows it on the tax certificate. Without this request, the reduction is still calculated on €1,050 at 30%.
I pay in €1,200: what happens?
With a request for the second ceiling: 25% of €1,200, i.e. €300, less than the €315 of the first ceiling. Without that request: the reduction stays at €315, and the bank or insurer normally refunds the €150 above €1,050.
At what age can I pay into pension savings?
From age 18 to 64. At 60, an anticipatory tax of 8% is levied on the capital; payments made afterwards, up to age 64, still give a reduction.
Can a couple have two pension savings plans?
Yes. Each partner can have their own contract, with their own ceilings, provided they have their own taxable income: the reduction is set against each partner’s own tax.
What next?
- Year-end tax checklistPension savings, donations, childcare, service vouchers: what each action brings you.
- Tax refund or tax to pay?What your next tax assessment notice has in store for you.
- Net pensionYour estimated statutory pension, net.
- Supplementary pension for the self-employedThe PLCI reduces your contributions and your tax.
Sources
Parameters in force on 1 October 2026. Each parameter links to its source, the official one where it exists; a secondary source is flagged as such.
- Épargne-pension 2026 : 2 200 contribuables piégés par le double plafond, OECCBB (secondary source).
- Récapitulatif des principaux plafonds fiscaux, exercice d’imposition 2027 – revenus 2026 (23 December 2025), Wolters Kluwer (secondary source).
- Épargne-pension : comment votre épargne est-elle taxée ? (updated on 30 June 2025), Wikifin (FSMA) (secondary source).
- Taux d’imposition, revenus 2025 et 2026, FPS Finance.