2025 Paycheck: Which Bonuses Are Confirmed?

Government to Reflect on 2025 Budget Law Bonuses

After the summer, the government will start reflecting on the 2025 Budget Law and will have to address doubts regarding which salary bonuses to confirm and which ones not to.
This is a question that is rightly asked by workers themselves, as the confirmation or not of the current bonuses, as well as the potential addition of new ones, will determine the amount of their salary.
The various bonuses currently recognized at the central level have reduced the tax wedge, which is the difference between gross and net salary due to the application of taxes and contributions.
These two factors can significantly reduce the net amount indicated on payslips, with employees earning much less compared to what they would have earned if they didn’t have to pay taxes.
Analyzing the country’s economic situation and considering some statements made by representatives of the Meloni government, we can get an idea of which bonuses might be confirmed in 2025.

Main Objective: Salary Tax Relief

In terms of amount, the salary tax relief applied to incomes below 35,000 euros (although the requirements are analyzed monthly) is undoubtedly the most important among those currently applied on payslips.
This measure alone can increase the salary by up to 100 net euros per month.
Specifically, it works by reducing the employee’s contribution rate (while the employer’s rate remains unchanged), which is usually 9.19% for the private sector and 8.80% for the public sector.
Thus, on a salary of 1,000 euros, the employee generally pays 91.90 euros in contributions, money that, it’s worth noting, is not lost as it is used to finance future pensions.
It is important to highlight that the reduced contribution paid by the worker does not affect their future pension since the State covers the part that is cut, thus avoiding any penalties on the future pension amount.
This year, for those with a gross salary not exceeding 2,692 euros, the contribution rate is reduced as follows:
– 2.19% in the private sector, 1.80% in the public sector, for payslips up to 1,923 euros (equivalent to an annual income of 25,000 euros);
– 3.19% in the private sector, 2.80% in the public sector, for payslips with a gross amount exceeding 1,923 up to 2,692 euros (equivalent to an annual income of 35,000 euros).
This measure ensures a net increase of around 100 euros per month, which is why bidding it farewell will be challenging.
However, according to statements from various government officials, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti, there should be no concerns about this.
Despite the fact that the so-called “contribution” bonus is expiring on December 31, the intention is to refinance it for at least another year with the upcoming Budget Law.
Nevertheless, confirming this relief will not be easy as it will require 10 billion euros, a significant sum to be found considering the challenges the government will face in sourcing funds for the next budget.
The intention, however, is clear: the confirmation of the relief will be a top priority, with the bonus of up to 100 euros expected to continue being recognized in 2025.
Therefore, if you are negotiating a salary increase with your employer, make sure not to exceed 2,692 euros or ensure that the loss of the relief is compensated through the additional money.
Here we explain the calculation you need to make.

Confirmation of Tax Cut is Essential

In 2024, the IRPEF tax rates underwent a change, particularly because the second bracket, for incomes between 15,000 and 28,000 euros, was merged with the first bracket with a flat tax rate of 23%.
This operation, besides simplifying the tax calculation on salaries, has generated a saving that can amount to up to 260 net euros per year in the best cases.
Despite this being significantly less than the aforementioned contribution bonus, the Meloni government seems determined not to give up on this either.
In fact, the intention is not only to confirm the 23% rate in 2025 (the merger is currently financed until December 31), but also to intervene on incomes between 50,000 and 60,000 euros to provide a tax cut.
Everything will depend on the available resources, excluding the 10 billion required for the relief confirmation, but in any case, the bonus of 260 euros (this time annually) has a high chance of being confirmed.

Motherhood Bonus in Payslip

A different scenario applies to the motherhood bonus on payslips.
It is still a relief, with the difference that this completely reduces the tax rate for the working mother, up to an annual amount of 3,000 euros.
When combined with the contribution relief granted to those earning less than 2,692 euros, the impact is less significant compared to those earning more than this amount.
Currently, the situation regarding the so-called motherhood bonus on payslips is as follows:
– For women with two children, at least one of whom is under 10 years old, the bonus applies until December 31, 2024;
– For women with at least three children, at least one of whom is a minor, the bonus applies until December 31, 2026.
In practice, the government is expected to act in favor of women with two children, renewing the relief for 2025.
However, the feeling is that there will be savings on this measure, especially in light of data showing that only a portion of eligible women are benefiting from the bonus.
On the other hand, the part concerning women with at least three children should remain untouched, with the bonus deadline set for 2026.