Start your business in France with an accountant
The right legal form, a complete registration file and bookkeeping ready from day one. A Viseeon accountant supports you from the idea to your first accounts, with a free 20-minute first call by video.
- Free 20-minute first call
- Reply within 1 business hour
What costs the most when you start on your own?
A legal form chosen too quickly
The legal form sets your social protection, your taxation and how you pay yourself. Changing form later costs fees and time. It is better to compare before registering.
A rejected registration file
Formalities go through the one-stop shop for business formalities (guichet unique des formalités des entreprises). A missing document or poorly drafted articles of association delay your registration. Meanwhile, you cannot invoice under your company.
VAT and contributions badly anticipated
VAT (TVA) exemption or not, contributions based on turnover or on profit: these choices change your selling price. Many founders discover them at the first deadline.
Bookkeeping started late
First-year invoices get lost quickly. Rebuilding the books after the fact takes longer than keeping them up as you go. The first accounts end up weaker.
Which legal forms can you use to start a business in France?
The first choice is between a sole proprietorship (entreprise individuelle) and a company. A sole proprietorship is simpler to set up. A company separates your personal assets more clearly and offers more ways to pay yourself.
| Form | Partners | Capital | Manager's social scheme | Taxation of profits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietorship (including micro-entreprise) | 1 | No capital | Self-employed social security or micro-social regime | Income tax, option for corporate tax (IS) possible |
| EURL | 1 | Free | Self-employed manager | Income tax, option for corporate tax (IS) possible |
| SARL | 2 to 100 | Free | Majority manager self-employed, minority manager treated as an employee | Corporate tax (IS), option for income tax (IR) possible |
| SASU | 1 | Free | President treated as an employee if paid | Corporate tax (IS), option for income tax (IR) possible |
| SAS | 2 minimum | Free | Executive treated as an employee | Corporate tax (IS), option for income tax (IR) possible |
Source: Service Public Entreprendre, sheet F23844, checked on 10 April 2026.
The micro-entreprise is a sole proprietorship under a simplified regime. It applies as long as your turnover does not exceed €203,100 excl. VAT for sales of goods or €83,600 excl. VAT for services (2026 thresholds). Your contributions are a percentage of your turnover, with no deduction of actual expenses.
How does your start-up work with Viseeon?
A first 20-minute call
By video, your accountant listens to your project: activity, expected turnover, pay needs, possible partners.
Within 1 business hour of your request, we offer you a slot
Choice of legal form and forecast
Your accountant compares the legal forms on your figures, showing net income and social protection. They give you a simple forecast.
At the start-up meeting
Articles of association and registration
Drafting or review of the articles, deposit of the capital, legal notice and file on the one-stop shop, depending on the plan chosen.
Depending on the form chosen and the file processing time
Tax and social options
VAT regime, tax regime, option for corporate tax (IS) or income tax (IR), flat-rate income tax payment for micro-entreprises: each option is chosen and dated.
Before your first invoice
Bookkeeping ready from day one
Opening of your file, tool to collect supporting documents, calendar of your tax and social deadlines.
From registration
What administrative steps are needed to start up in France?
- Choose the legal form and, for a company, draft the articles of association.
- Deposit the capital in a blocked account (company). For an EURL or SARL, at least 20% of cash contributions are paid in at creation. For a SAS or SASU, at least 50%.
- Publish a legal notice (company).
- Register the business on the one-stop shop for business formalities. This online process replaces the former formalities centres.
- Declare the beneficial owners (company).
- Choose your tax regimes: VAT, taxation of profits.
Registration fees for a company are €33.83, plus €19.33 for the beneficial owners declaration, excluding the legal notice. Registering a commercial sole proprietorship costs €21.74 (Service Public Entreprendre, F23844, checked on 10 April 2026).
Do you have to charge VAT from the start?
Not necessarily. The VAT exemption (franchise en base de TVA) spares you from charging VAT as long as your previous year's turnover stays below €85,000 (sales, accommodation) or €37,500 (services). During the year, you lose it above €93,500 or €41,250 (thresholds unchanged for 2026).
The exemption is not always advantageous. If your clients are businesses, or if you buy a lot of equipment at the start, recovering VAT may be more worthwhile. Your accountant runs the numbers with you.
Business start-up checklist 2026
All the steps, documents and options to tick off, from the idea to the first invoice. PDF format, 2 pages.
Get the guideDo I need an accountant to start my business?
It is not mandatory. But the choice of legal form and tax options commits your pay and your contributions for several years. An accountant compares the options on your figures before registration.
What are the micro-entreprise thresholds in 2026?
Turnover excl. VAT must not exceed €203,100 for sales of goods and €83,600 for services. The regime is lost only after two consecutive years above the threshold.
What is the minimum capital for a SAS or SARL?
Capital is free. For a SAS or SASU, at least 50% of cash contributions are paid in at creation, the rest within 5 years. For a SARL or EURL, at least 20%.
How much does it cost to register a company?
€33.83 for registration, plus €19.33 for the beneficial owners declaration. The price of the legal notice, mandatory for a company, is added.
Where are the start-up formalities done?
Online, on the one-stop shop for business formalities. Your accountant can prepare and file the application for you, depending on the plan chosen.
What contribution rates apply to a micro-entreprise?
In 2026: 12.3% of turnover for sales of goods, 21.2% for commercial or craft services, 25.6% for unregulated liberal activities, 23.2% for liberal professionals under the Cipav scheme.
SASU or EURL: what difference for the manager?
A paid SASU president is treated as an employee. An EURL manager falls under the self-employed social security scheme. Contributions, social protection and dividend taxation differ: the comparison is done on your figures.
Do I have to open a business bank account?
A company must have an account in its name, if only to deposit the capital. For a micro-entreprise, a dedicated business account becomes mandatory if your turnover exceeds €10,000 for 2 consecutive years. It is mandatory from the start for a commercial activity. Below that, it remains strongly recommended.
When should I choose my VAT regime?
Before your first invoice. The VAT exemption applies as long as you stay under the thresholds, but you can waive it if that is more advantageous.
Is the first meeting paid?
The first 20-minute call by video is free and without obligation. It is used to understand your project and tell you whether and how we can help.
Book your start-up meeting
20 free minutes by video with a Viseeon accountant. We confirm your slot within 1 business hour.