In this months issue I talk about the various ways in which you can do business in France, starting with the recently introduced and relatively simple self-employment regime known as 'auto-entrepreneur'. Under this scheme, which has proved extremely popular since its introduction in January 2009, tax and social contributions are paid quarterly, based on a fixed percentage of the income actually received by the business, rather than on notional amounts applied under some of the other business regimes (which can prove to be a burden for new start-up enterprises).
I also look at the different types of French limited company, including the SCI which is a special arrangement to enable different members of a family or a group of friends to jointly buy a French property. There is also a summary of the general business rules and regulations, as well as some curious anomalies.
French Property News is available on subscripton or see www.french-property-news.com