- Home
- Guides to France
- Work & Business
- Starting a Business
- Structures
Work & Business in France
Starting a Business
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Top Tips
- 3. Start-Up Advice
- 4. Business Classification
- 5. Legal Structure
- 6. Business Registration
- 7. Business Premises
- 8. Banking, Accounting & Insurance
- 9. Business Taxation
- 10. Other Taxes
- 11. Social Security
- 12. Financial Assistance
Guides to France
Property in France
- Buying property in France
- Buying off-plan in France
- French property auctions
- SCI Ownership
- French property rights
- Renting property in France
- Selling property in France
Building & Renovation
- Building a house in France
- French planning system
- Property renovation in France
- French property rights
- French Mobile Homes
Work & Business
Money & Taxation
- Banking in France
- French mortgages
- Currency Exchange
- Taxes in France
- French inheritance
- French home insurance
Living in France
Useful Links
AdvertiseNetwork Sites
Helpful Links
News
Services
- French Health Insurance
- French Home Insurance
- Inheritance Tax & Law Consultancy
- French Planning
- Transfer Money to France
- Metric Unit Conversion
If you require advice and assistance with the purchase of French property and moving to France, then take a look at the France Insider Property Clinic.
Guide to Starting a Business in France
5. Business Structures
5.1. Types of Business Structure in France
It is not ordinarily necessary to establish a separate legal company structure to start and run a business in France.
As a general rule, you have the choice to either operate a business as a sole trader, or to establish a limited company.
A sole trader is called an Entreprise Individuelle, whilst the most common limited company structures have the acronyms EURL and SARL.
It is also possible to opt for the legal status of EIRL - Entreprise individuelle à responsabilité limitée, a status that grants a strong degree of limited liability, but without the need to establish a company.
We can, therefore, summarise the four main business structures as follows:
Table: Business Structures in France
Structure | Abbreviation |
---|---|
Entreprise Individuelle | (EI) |
Entreprise Individuelle à responsabilité limitée | (EIRL) |
Entreprise Unipersonelle à Responsibilité Limitée | (EURL) |
Société à Responsibilité Limitée | (SARL) |
NB: From May 2022 the EURL structure has been abolished as there is now automatic protection against the seizure of personal assets for all new sole trader creations as for new debts of existing businesses.
There are also a number of legal structures for public limited companies, partnerships, investment companies and certain professions libérales, e.g. SCP, SEL, SA, SAS, SNC, SCM! We shall not be considering these structures in these pages.
If you are proposing to rent out property then you may wish to establish a rather specialist type of property company called a Société Civile Immobiliiére. The SCI is mainly used for home purchase, but can also be used as a legal vehicle to let out unfurnished property.
Most people setting up a business in France do so on a sole trader basis. Whilst it is possible to later migrate to a limited company, there are fees and taxes associated with doing so, particularly if you are transferring business assets to the new company.
You would do well to consider a company structure at the outset if the business needs start-up capital or loan finance, if your business costs are high (and, therefore, low margin), or you are starting a business with others.
Otherwise, the costs of running a limited company (including accountancy fees) probably outweigh any benefits they may bring.
The type of legal structure you choose will have implications on your fiscal status.
Thus, depending on the choice you make, you will either be taxed through the personal income tax system, or through the system of company tax (or both!).
Similarly, you will pay social security contributions, either as a salaried employee or as a self-employed person (or both!).
Which Business Structure? If you seek a professional evaluation of the type of business structure that might be suitable for you, contact us at [email protected].
Next: Sole Trader Legal Status
The Guides to France are published for general information only.
Please visit our Disclaimer for full details.
-
Stunning Renovated 1920s Villa on the Doorstep of Geneva. Perfect Family Home or B&B Business.6Haute-Savoie (74)
€1,795,000
-
Large Villa with 3 Holiday Apartments, Offering Many Possibilities in a Quiet and Central Location7Alpes-Maritimes (06)
€1,600,000
-
Willerby Azure (2014) 3 Bedroom | Sited on a Beautiful Holiday Parc in the Heart of the Bordeaux Wine Region3Lot-et-Garonne (47)
€29,750
-
Stunning 2-Bedroom Apartment with Panoramic Views on all Sides, Located in the Centre of Courbevoie on the Outskirts of …2Hauts-de-Seine (92)
€575,000