France is ranked among the world's ten largest economies and is considered one of the best places for foreign investment in Europe. Poland ranks among the top countries in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of the number of new jobs.
Setting up a company in France - legal structures
Analogous to our country, when it comes to setting up a company in France, the most preferred form of doing business is incorporated companies. Entrepreneurs looking to expand their business here have several different legal structures to choose from:
- SARL (Société à responsabilité limitée): A company with limited liability and equivalent to a Polish limited liability company. This is a popular form for small and medium-sized businesses. The share capital is divided into shares, and the owners have limited liability.
- SAS (Société par actions simplifiée): a simplified joint stock company. This is a flexible legal form that allows the statute to be customized. It is more suitable for larger companies.
- SA (Société Anonyme): a joint-stock company, which is the equivalent of a Polish joint-stock company (S.A.). This is the form often chosen by large corporations.
- Auto-Entrepreneur: a form of sole proprietorship that is suitable for people working independently. It is a simple form that includes simplified procedures for both tax and administration.
- EURL (Entreprise Unipersonnelle à Responsabilité Limitée): a single-member company with limited liability.
- SNC (Société en Nom Collectif): a limited partnership that includes unlimited liability partners and limited partners with limited liability.
- SARL de famille: a special type of SARL that is only available to family members.
- Société Civile Immobilière (SCI): a real estate investment partnership.
- Société Coopérative (SC): a cooperative company in which the owners jointly manage the company and share profits.
- Société en commandite par actions (SCA): a limited partnership that combines elements of a joint-stock company with elements of a limited partnership.
- Société par actions simplifiée unipersonnelle (SASU): A one-person simplified joint stock company that is the equivalent of SAS for a single owner.
- Société d'Exercice Libéral (SEL): a form for the liberal professions.
Each of these structures has its own requirements and benefits, so it's worth consulting professional advisors to choose the most suitable one for your business.
Establishing a company in France - general information
When establishing a company in France, all the words in its name must be in French or English. In addition, the name must end with a word, phrase or abbreviation indicating the organizational and legal form of the business. The chosen name is verified with the patent office (Institut national de la propriété industrielle).
To register a company in France, you must contact the Center for Business Formalities (Centre de Formalités des Entreprises) and provide the appropriate documents.
After registration, the INSEE (Institut national de la statistique et des tu des economiques) National Institute for Statistics and Economic Research assigns a SIRET (Systeme informatique pour le repertoire des etablissements) and SIREN (Systeme informatique pour le repertoire des entreprises et et etablissements) number to the enterprise. The SIREN number identifies the business entity, while the SIRET number identifies both the business entity and its specific function or location.
Part of the business requires declaring financial guarantees, so it is worth consulting with professional advisors to ascertain what requirements your prospective company must meet.
If you are setting up a company in France with the assumption of hiring employees, you should be thoroughly familiar with French employment regulations, including employment contracts, salaries, social security, vacations, or employee notifications. It should be borne in mind that in France, in addition to the Labor Code, there are also collective bargaining agreements, which are separate for each industry, often including the region. Trade unions operating at the regional, industry and company level play a major role in the area of labor legislation.
Take advantage of our experience when setting up your business in France!
Strict accounting regulations are associated with setting up a company in France. In order to properly keep the books and file the appropriate financial statements, it is a good idea to use a company experienced in this market that has sufficient knowledge of French regulations and is able to provide extensive business assistance.
Impol is a direct representative of companies based in France. For many years, we have been successfully representing Polish companies in European markets, including reputable industries such as automotive, construction, transportation and logistics.
We specialize in the comprehensive handling of administrative and personnel matters. Among other things, we guarantee support in bookkeeping depending on the number of invoices, annual balance sheet, accounting consultation and employee records.
When setting up a company in France, you can count on our specialists for CNFE, PROBTP and VAT registration. In addition, we offer legal support such as preparing for URSSAF inspections
Our professional advisors will clearly explain the process of setting up a company in France. At Impol, we understand very well that each case may be different, so we always take an individual approach to our clients to help understand all the details and requirements of your specific situation. You are more than welcome to contact us!
