Payroll
/
French Polynesia
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Available in +150 countries
Employer costs, taxes, minimum wage and leave rules for hiring here, plus the faster route: hire a contractor with Ontop, no local entity needed.
2026
Currency
XPF CFP (CFP Franc)
Employer contributions
~35% employer CPS (health, pension, work accident)
Minimum wage
XPF 201,500/month (SMIG 2024)
Payment frequency
Monthly
Calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31)
Capital
Papeete
Timezone
TAHT (GMT-10)
Employee or contractor
If the work is project-based or you need to move fast, a contractor gets you the same talent with a fraction of the paperwork.
Employee
~XPF 675,000 total
/month
For a gross salary of
XPF 500,000 gross/month
Setup
Local entity or employer of record, plus tax and social security registration
Employer contributions
~35% employer CPS (health, pension, work accident)
Mandatory extras
13th Month Salary
Monthly admin
Monthly payroll - CPS by month-end - IRPP withholding - annual April return
Contractor with Ontop
No local entity
$49
/contractor/month
The agreed rate, plus Ontop from $49 per contractor per month.
Sign a contract, yours or an Ontop template. No local registration on your side.
No employer contributions: the contractor handles their own taxes and social security.
One payment per invoice, in one payroll run.
Paid into their Ontop Global Account in USD.
See the full side-by-side comparison
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A contractor's rate usually covers their own taxes, so compare total cost, not just gross pay. Run your numbers in the contractor vs employee calculator.
Hiring here: the full breakdown
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Payroll guide
Employer costs come on top of gross pay. Use these figures to budget a hire and to compare it with a contractor rate.
Total monthly cost
~XPF 675,000 total
Example gross salary
XPF 500,000 gross/month
~XPF 269,500 net
Net pay to the employee
Tax and employee contributions
Withheld from gross pay
~XPF 175,000 CPS
Employer contributions on that salary
Employer contributions
~35% employer CPS (health, pension, work accident)
Employee contributions
~11% employee CPS + income tax (IRPP)
Total cost above gross
~35% above gross (CPS/RSPF)
Figures are estimates for planning. Rates change with each budget and can vary by sector, so confirm them before you make an offer.
What people earn here, from the legal floor to the main cities, plus the extra pay most employers budget for.
National average
~XPF 350,000
Per month
Papeete
XPF 400,000 - 1,200,000
~40%
Moorea
XPF 320,000 - 900,000
~10%
Monthly gross. National average salary per year:
~XPF 4,200,000
Minimum wage
XPF 201,500/month (SMIG 2024)
Paid:
Monthly
Extra pay
13th Month Salary
Mandatory 13th month per CPS collective rules
December
Collective agreements can set sector minimums above the national one. Check whether one applies to the role before you set the salary. Next step: estimate the full cost of an employee.
Who collects what, how often, and what happens when a payment is late.
Income tax brackets
0% / 14% / 24% / 29% / 40% (autonomous territory rates)
Tax year:
Calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31)
Filing calendar
Monthly CPS declarations
Social security payments
April 30 (annual IRPP return)
Income tax
By March 31
Employee tax certificate
Attestation Fiscale
April 30
Annual return
Declaration IRPP
Late payment penalties
Late CPS: 10% penalty + interest; late IRPP: 10% + interest
Who collects what
DICP
Income tax (IRPP)
CPS (Caisse de Prevoyance Sociale)
Social insurance (health + pension + accident)
Ministere du Travail (local government)
Labour law
The time off and paid leave every employee is entitled to by law. Budget for it when you compare an employee with a contractor.
Annual leave
Conges Annuels Payes
25 working days/year (congres payes)
Public holidays
~14 public holidays
Sick leave
Arret Maladie
CPS pays from day 4 at 80%
Maternity leave
16 weeks (112 days) maternity
Full pay CPS
The contracts you can use, and what ending an employment relationship costs.
Permanent
Contrat de Travail a Duree Indeterminee (CDI)
Fixed term
Contrat de Travail a Duree Determinee (CDD)
Independent contractor
Contrat de Prestation de Services
Collective agreements
Convention Collective de Travail
Ending employment
Indemnite de Licenciement
How it is calculated
1/5 month/year (first 10 yrs) + 2/5 month/year (over 10 yrs)
Calling someone a contractor does not make them one. If the role works like employment in practice, local authorities can reclassify it, with back contributions and penalties.
The errors that most often trigger back payments and penalties here, and what to do instead.
CPS High Employer Contribution Rate
Risk Level: HIGH
French Polynesia's CPS employer contribution rate of approximately 35% is among the highest in the Pacific. Employers who attempt to reduce this burden through contractor misclassification trigger CPS audits with retroactive contributions plus 10% penalty.
Autonomous Territory vs Metropolitan France Rules
Risk Level: HIGH
French Polynesia is an autonomous overseas collectivity - French Labor Code does not directly apply. The territory has its own Labour Code. French employers who assume metropolitan rules apply in Polynesia are non-compliant.
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FAQ
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Ontop works with contractors, not employees. As Contractor of Record, Ontop handles contracts, compliance documents and payments for contractors in 150+ countries. To employ someone, you need a local entity or an employer of record. Ontop doesn't act as your employer of record.
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Employers pay contributions on top of gross salary. The cost table on this page shows the rates that apply here and a worked monthly example. A contractor with Ontop costs the agreed rate plus Ontop from $49 per contractor per month.
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Many countries require an extra month or an annual bonus for employees. The salaries section on this page shows the one that applies here and when it is usually paid. Contractors are paid what you agree in the contract.
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Employers withhold income tax and the employee's social security share every pay run, then pay them to the local authorities. The taxes section on this page lists the brackets, rates and filing deadlines that apply here.
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Yes. The contractor vs employee calculator compares the full cost of an employee, employer contributions included, with a contractor rate plus Ontop's monthly fee.
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When the work is project-based, you need to start fast or you don't have a local entity. If the person will work fixed hours, under your direction and only for you, local law may treat them as an employee, so hire them as one.
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Misclassifying employees as contractors, missing tax and social security deadlines, and ignoring collective agreements that set higher wage floors. The mistakes section on this page covers the ones that come up most often here.
Compare employer costs, taxes and contractor rules in nearby countries:
Ready to hire? See Ontop pricing or learn how to build a global team without an employer of record.
Ready to hire? See Ontop pricing or learn how to build a global team without an employer of record.