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The idea of working for you in France may sound incredible: a flexible schedule, coffee meetings and the charm of French life. But behind the romantic image of independent work abroad is a very real set of challenges that each independent person in France must navigate. This is what your own boss is really on French soil.
Note: He Automatic entrepreneur The State is the simplest commercial configuration for independent contractors in France. Also known as a MicrocentriaIt comes with many advantages, so it is often preferred among independent workers. This article is based mainly on autonomous individuals with this State.
Pay high taxes and social positions
The quotes They are social positions that all in France participate. Social positions help finance public benefits such as medical care and retirement coverage. These contributions are calculated as a flat rate percentage of their income, from the first euro.
💡 Professional Council: Eligible independent workers can benefit from a reduction in social positions through ACRE.
In other words, regardless of how much is orica, the same percentage is charged. Different percentages are applied depending on the type of commercial activity that is carried out, such as providing services or selling products.
To give you an idea, I provide services and currently pay 24.6% of my income for social positions! Wow, Ellen, that’s a lot! YEAH. Yes it is. And they are going up. And the port is only talked about taxes …
Income taxes are paid in addition to social contributions. Independent workers have an automatic extensionor tax reduction. The standard extension For independent service providers it is 34%, which pays taxes on 66% of my income. The regular fiscal scale is applied based on my home. Larger companies that fall outside Microcentria The configuration details your expenses to reduce your taxable income.
Related: French income taxes: things you need to know
Instead of using the extension” car entrepreneurs You can opt for the Funeral Version Libéatoire (VFL). In this case, a low and flat percentage charged for all income and paid together with social positions throughout the year is the year. For most independent workers, this rate is 2.2%. If your total total income is above a certain threshold, it is not eligible to take advantage of this low tax rate.
For additional fun for all, there is a surprise tax that many people on their own are forgotten. This is because it does not appear for the first time until the end of the calendar year in its second year of business. The CFE (Foncière des entreresses quotation) It is calculated based on your income and business place, even if you are simply working from home.
Car entrepreneurs In France, Arguffy enjoys a simplified fiscal structure, but the accumulated effect of social contributions and several taxes can be an intensive financial burden.
See everyone else enjoy time outside
France is known for having a lot of free time. Salaried workers in France enjoy five weeks of license paid per year. Students have two weeks free from school every six weeks or so. Not to mention that there are a lot of Fériés Jours (Bank vacations) also that “all” can enjoy. This year, the month of May has three bank holidays that every Thursday, which means that many people are taking Friday Faya Le Pont And have long weekends.
As a freelance, unless you have dominated the art of passive income, the general rule is that if you are not working, you are not making money. If you want to have a free time for vacations, you must budge wisely and plan for that. At that time, taking a free time can be difficult to depend on your customers and workload.
Like some who work with international clients, I am completely cake for the holidays … until some ask me what I am doing that day! 😆 A couple of years ago, I worked on a marketing campaign for a French agency that asked me to send me by email on Thanksgiving. I sent that email in the United States while a roasted turkey in the oven.
Of course, it would be negligent not to mention that independent workers have the right to any financial aid when it comes to free time in France. For example, there is a maternity leave paid, as well as a illness license paid for independent workers. It is not a lot of money, and there are previous requirements to qualify, but the thesis are benefits for which I am really grateful!
Monitor the French administrator constantly
“Arbitrary” and “unnecessarily complicated” are the first adjectives that come to mind when I think of the administrator involved in working as a freelancer in France. Here are some things that I have had to navigate recently:
- Or all the documents that I have handled in France, I think that updating my commercial address through INPI has Bone one of the most convened tasks. It was so arduous that the online application increased the moment when I obtained the entire form, which was several pages.
- Since 2022, he is mandatory of the leg for all those who work so that they include the designation Individual entrepreneur or the abbreviation egg after its name in official documents. This includes invoices, ads and correspondence.
- In the very close future, electronic billing through an approved platform will be a requirement for most independent people. This is likely for the best diffusion, maintain the list of notes that must be included in the invoices. He Mentions bobigatovers Take so much space that I barely have room for the real invoice in my invoices.
The fact that you are working for yourself does not mean that you have to solve everything on your own! Here are two Facebook groups that I find especially useful to keep up to the changing regulations when it comes to working for you: Anglopreneurs and ladies in business in France. I also subscribe to the micro of the Flo Bulletin, which is in French. He always knows the latest news and has incredible clear guides in his blog.
Decoding acronyms
It can be related to the desktop Cracy, but I want to walk through this acronyous alphabet soup deserves its own header.
Here is a list of acronyms related to working as a personalized person in France, grouped by general issues:
- Ursaf
- CA, BIC, BNC, TVA, CFE -Come/Travel and Taxes
- ACRE, ARCE, RSA – AIDS AND BENEFITS
- CIPAV retirement funds
Inventing new acronyms is surely a favorite hobby of the French government. Some are disturbingly similar or cover similar things. It’s hard to keep them all straight!
Trying to rent an apartment
As expected, the owners prefer tenants with stable and fixed income so that they can be sure to recite their rental months. The ideal tenant in France has a permanent employment contract, known as CDI (Hir the travail à durée indéterminée).
Independent workers are generally considered liabilities because they do not have traditional employment contracts. Due to the very nature of working as a freelancer, its use can change doubts and their income can fluctuate.
My French husband worked as an independent professional for many years. Despite his nationality, and even thought he had secured regular customers and substantial contracts, it was much more difficult for him to rent an apartment in Paris as an autonomous person as a salaried worker. The difficulties associated with the rental of an apartment due to work as an independent professional are a great inconvenience for this type of work.
