Living in France?

Hi,

I have just booked an appointment with the Chambre de Metier in Villeneuve, then joined this forum and found that everyone is talking about the Chambre de Commerce as a starting point. Please can anyone help point me in the right direction?

I am in the "Lot et Garonne" (47), bordering the "Dordogne" (24) and "Lot" (46) regions and am hoping to start a "Micro Enterprise", looking after Gites, pool maintenance, lawn mowing, repair work, paving etc. I have a builders trailer, so can collect/dispose of large items.

Generally speaking if you are only going to do light repairs/maintenance work you may only need to register with the Chambre de Commerce. If you wish to carry out a professional trade such as builder, electrician, plumber etc. then you would definitely need to register with the Chambre de Metiers and will also need to take out Decenal insurance which guarantees your work for a minimum of 10 years.

The stinging point will be the Cotisations & taxes that you'll have to pay, they can be very high and have to be paid as soon as you've registered regardless of whether you're earning or not - France isn't really in to small businesses unfortunately so it's best to first visit a French accountant who will be able to advise you as to which is the best tax regime for you i.e. Micro Enterprise or Real.
Good luck

Hi Flood,

Thanks for your advice and the link. Very useful.

Ady Report It

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