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France Guide: Business

Our business guide provides you with information about company creation, self-employment, the prospects in the marketplace and some tips on how to avoid problems.

Business entities in France:
What kind of company do you want?

A crucial decision to be made before you can register your business and start trading is the type of structure or entity that will best suit your business. It’s essential to obtain professional advice regarding the best method of establishing and registering a business, which can dramatically affect your liability in the event of incurring debts or being sued, as well as your tax position. There are around 13 different types of business entity ( statut) in France. The most important ones are described below. More...
Grants & Subsidies in France:
How to get financial help

There are over 250 different grants and subsidies (often referred to as ‘incentives’, although strictly these are financial) available to individuals for starting up a personal enterprise or small business in France, particularly in rural areas. These include EU subsidies, central government grants, regional development grants, redeployment grants, and grants from departments and local communities. More...
Paperwork:
How to register a business in France

Before undertaking any business transactions in France, it’s important to obtain legal advice to ensure that you’re operating within the law. Although registering your business means having to pay taxes and social security contributions, it also gives you access to healthcare, pension rights, family allowances and, for lower earners, various other means-tested benefits. More...
Business taxation:
What taxes do you have to pay?

The French tax system is inordinately complicated. Unless your tax affairs are simple, it’s prudent to employ an accountant ( expert comptable) to complete your tax return and ensure that you’re correctly assessed. . A list of registered accountants is available from the Conseil Supérieur de l’Ordre des Experts-Comptables. More...
Social security:
Contributions and benefits for the self-employed

Social security contributions are one of the biggest expenses to be faced when running a business in France, whether on a self-employed basis or as the owner of a company employing staff, and you should ensure that you budget sufficiently for these, particularly at the outset, as contributions are backdated to your start date and you can receive a very large bill! More...
Hiring employees:
What you have to consider in France

Hiring employees shouldn’t be taken lightly in France and must be taken into account before starting a business. There are around 1.4 million companies in France without employees – and not without reason, as many successful small businesses become less so as soon as they start to recruit! More...

Further Links about Business