Company formation in France

France has a corporate tax rate of 33.3%. Companies that operate under VAT have to pay tax on purchases at 20%. Certain services, like those related to some foodstuffs, some pharmaceutical products, domestic passenger transport, intra-community and international road (some exceptions) and inland waterways transport, admission to amusement park (with cultural aspect), pay/cable TV, and others, benefit from a 10% VAT rate.

Flag of France — France
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Popular company applications

French corporate structures are mostly used for:

VAT company
Ready-made company
Branch office

Corporate Registration requirements

Requirements for registering a company in France include:

Requires at least 1 director
Requires at least 1 shareholder
Minimum share capital 1 EUR

Bank account introduction

Bank account introductions in France are offered with:

Please consider to browse our full bank directory, if a bank is not listed here.

Registration timescale

It takes two weeks for a new company registration or shelf company transfer, in most cases. However, the set-up or transfer process will take up to 15 business days, if the shareholder of French company is an overseas corporate entity

VAT registration requires up to 1 month in most cases (French tax authorities may request additional information)

For a ready-to-use bank account a minimum of 15-20 days is required. (Account activation is possible only upon receipt of the required information and hand-signed application forms)

Where do I begin?

In order to commence incorporation and bank account introduction, we will require certain corporate documents and identification information.
Please ask us for details.

Advantages of forming a company in France

There are several advantages of forming a company in France, according to the World Bank report on ease of doing business. Please consider registering a company in France, especially, if your country of domicile has certain complications (namely political, regulatory or tax-related).

Fast and straightforward incorporation procedure	Well-developed infrastructure
Low incorporation and maintenance costs	Flexible corporate legislation
EU-funded business support programme available	France is not on any of the offshore blacklists.

France offers attractive benefits for companies and, depending on the industry, favourable legal structures. Please contact us now.

Top-choice legal structures

According to data from the French Commercial Court, the following business structures (legal entities) are the most frequently registered:

Public Limited Company
Private Company Limited By Shares

The company formation procedure

Company formation in France involves a number of stages of varying complexity and therefore requires professional assistance. The Confidus Solutions team will prepare legal documents, assist with registration and finalise the incorporation procedure.

Setting up business

Before your documents can be prepared, you must choose a business type and a name for your company. Confidus Solutions can validate all the relevant information and draft the incorporation documents.

Registering a legal entity

In order to register your company, Confidus Solutions will submit all the prepared documents to the French Commercial Court. This procedure will take approximately two weeks.

Finalisation of company set-up

As Confidus Solutions takes care of all stages of the company registration process, we will assist with finalising the set-up of your company as well. Usually this includes receiving the incorporation documents and any other additional documents that you may require.

Company incorporation documents

When registering a company in France, you may require the following:

Application blank
Articles of association
Shareholder list
Shareholder agreement

Please note that the required documents can vary on a case-by-case basis.

Incorporation expenses

To find out what a basic company incorporation package in France will cost you, use the form below. If you require a more complex, tax-optimised structure, we can discuss this via our contact form — please ask us for details.

Summary of incorporation expenses

Additional expenses may arise if you choose a different legal entity or require a bank account, virtual office or perhaps a website.

Additional business support

We offer several additional services for your company. With us, you can purchase a ready-made company in France. Enquire now!

Opening a corporate bank account in France

Confidus Solutions will act as a banking agent for your corporate bank account in France. All you need to do is select a bank:

Virtual office services for companies in France

Your company in France may not only receive letters, but also phone calls, so instead of renting a registered address with just a post office box, it is much more convenient to rent a virtual office. A virtual office includes a registered company address, a local mailbox, a local phone number and mail and call forwarding.

Accounting services for French companies

In order to operate a business, your company will require a professional accountant to keep records, prepare the payroll, carry out transactions and compile and submit tax reports.

We also offer company registration packages in France with accounting services — please ask for more information.

Online presence

Finally, a website for the French market can be added to your company registration package. Various options are available, from an inexpensive, basic website to a comprehensive e-commerce site with full-fledged SEO optimisation.

VAT special rate application

Special tax rate applies to some foodstuffs, some pharmaceutical products, domestic passenger transport, intra-community and international road (some exceptions) and inland waterways transport, admission to amusement park (with cultural aspect), pay/cable TV, some renovation and repairs of private dwellings, some cleaning in private households, some agricultural supplies, hotel accomodation, restaurants (excluding alcoholic beverages), some domestic waste collection, certain domestic care services, firewood, take away food, bars, cafes and nightclubs, cut flowers and plants for decorative use.