Registration Card, Shein Parcel, Hospital... In March 206, Your Wallet Is Still Expensive

The government has a well-established tradition: at the start of each month, a small list of regulatory changes is applied silently, and weighs down our wallets. That of March 2026 is particularly busy, since almost all items in the daily budget are affected.

Shein tax goes into effect

This is undoubtedly the most awaited measure, and the most feared by online shopping addicts. Since 1^is March, a tax of €2 per item applies to all parcels originating from countries outside the European Union whose value is less than €150. Concretely, the measure directly targets platforms like Shein, Temu or AliExpress, which have until now flooded the French market with small, cheap packages.

The stated objective is twofold: to rebalance competition with traders established in France, and to replenish public coffers. For a basket of five items at €10 each, the surcharge will reach €10, an increase of 20% of the total amount. For large consumers of disposable fashion or imported accessories, the bill could quickly add up. The measure, included in the 2026 finance law, applies to each item individually, even when several of them are grouped in the same package.

Registration certificate, gas, tobacco: the increases accumulate

The gray card increases on average by 2.4% nationallybut regional variations are greater. In Île-de-France, the regional tax jumps from €54.95 to €68.95 per tax horse. In Corsica, the increase is even more marked, with an increase from €43 to €53. Only electric vehicles retain their regional tax exemption, an incentive for the energy transition which remains one of the rare tax advantages preserved this month.

As for gas, the benchmark Price published by the Energy Regulatory Commission increased by 3.93% in March compared to the previous month. The average price per kWh for heating thus increases from 0.0998 to 0.10514€ including tax. A modest increasebut which adds to an already strong pressure on household spending constraints.

Tobacco, for its part, saw nearly 500 cigarette references change prices. The increases vary depending on the brand: some packages increase by 20 to 40 cents, others remain stable, a few drop slightly. The government’s objective remains to reach a floor price of €13 per package by 2027.

At the hospital, the bad news continues

Hospital costs are also increasing. The daily rate, this contribution to accommodation costs billed to hospitalized patients, increases from 20 to 23€ per day. The fixed price for the psychiatric service increases from 15 to 17€. And the emergency patient package (for those who go to the emergency room without subsequently being hospitalized) increases from €19 to €23. These increases are generally covered by mutual insurance companies, but they could impact future increases in contributions.

Closure of PELs

March 2026 also marks the automatic closure of housing savings plans (PEL) opened in March 2011, having reached their maximum legal duration of 15 years. The savers concerned will have to reposition their fundsoften at rates much less advantageous than those guaranteed at the time.

Some good news though

In the middle of this gloomy month of March, we are still benefiting from some good news: additional birth leave comes into force for young parents, and technical inspections of two-wheelers are being strengthened, with new measures to fight against wild unbridling.