Presentation of France
France is a sovereign transcontinental state whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe. It shares land borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and the principalities of Andorra and Monaco. France also benefits from extensive coastlines along the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.
The French economy is a social market economy based on private property, with historically strong state intervention since the end of World War II. Although this intervention has been reduced since the 1980s, it remains significant. Today, France’s economy is mainly service-oriented, with services accounting for nearly 75% of GDP.
Good to know: Corporate Income Tax (CIT)
• Standard corporate tax rate: 25% (since 2022, a unified rate applies to all companies).
• Reduced rate of 15%: applicable, under certain conditions, on the portion of profits up to €42,500.
Conditions to benefit from the reduced rate:
• Annual turnover (excluding VAT) of less than €10 million;
• Fully paid-up share capital;
• At least 75% of the capital continuously held by individuals (or by a company meeting this same requirement).
Above €42,500 of taxable profits, the balance is taxed at the standard rate of 25%.
| Sole Proprietorship (EI) Private Limited Company (EIRL) | One-person company with limited liability (EURL) | Limited liability company (SARL) | Limited company (SA) | Simplified Joint Stock Company (SAS) Single share simplified joint stock company (SASU) | Partnership (SNC) | The Cooperative Production Company (SCOP) | |
| Shareholder (s) | The individual entrepreneur | A natural or legal person | 2 to 100 natural or legal persons | At least 2 natural or legal persons (or 7 for listed companies) | At least a natural or legal person | At least 2 natural or legal persons | Employees of the company (at least 51% of the capital) and possibly outside investors |
| Leaders(s) | The individual entrepreneur | One or more managers (natural persons) | One or more managers (natural persons) | A board of directors from 3 to 18 members, with a president appointed from among them | A president (natural or legal person), obligation of a legal representative | One or more managers (natural or legal persons) | A director or manager elected by the majority partners |
| Share capital | / | Free | Free | At least € 37,000 | Free | Free | 30 € minimum in SCOP SARL or SAS and 18 500 € for SCOP SA |
| Social regime of the manager (s) | Non-salaried worker) | Non-salaried worker (sole associate) or equivalent-employee (several partners) | Non-salaried worker (majority manager), assimilated-employee (egalitarian or minority manager) | Employee-Assimilated (Chairman of the Board) | Assimilated-employee (president) | Non-salaried worker | Assimilated-employee (director and managers of the company) |
| Taxation of profits | Income tax (possibility of corporation tax under conditions in sole proprietorship limited liability) | Income tax (natural person – possibility of corporation tax), corporation tax (legal person) | Corporate Tax in most cases | Corporate Tax in most cases | Corporate Tax in most cases | Income tax (share of the profits of the partners), option of the corporation tax possible for the company | Corporation tax |
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