Ubisoft spends 310 million euros a year on employee salaries in France. Without government benefits, it would be more
In recent months, the French authorities have been actively questioning the heads of major companies about the justification for granting them government support. Recently, the parliament invited Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot for a discussion.
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Guillemot reported to the parliamentarians that tax breaks significantly help Ubisoft save on expenses related to salaries and other employee payments. According to him, around 4,000 people work in the company’s French offices. In the 2024 fiscal year (April 2023 - March 2024), each of them cost Ubisoft an average of €77,500, with total spending amounting to €310 million. This is a substantial sum, but it could have been even higher — the tax breaks reduced expenses by 8%.
Ubisoft also has offices in other countries where cost savings are more effective. For instance, in Quebec, Canada, savings on payments to local employees amount to 34%, and in Singapore — 17%.
Overall, for the 2024 fiscal year, Ubisoft saved €38.4 million through various government support programs in France.
Currently, French authorities are discussing the introduction of additional conditions for tax breaks. One option is to link their size to the financial performance of companies. This would mean the amount of government support provided could change annually. Guillemot believes this is a bad idea.