Freelance journalist James Harrington details the complexities of being self-employed in France, where over three million operate independently. The article covers essential aspects such as choosing the appropriate business structure—ranging from micro-entrepreneurs (ME) to various corporate forms—tax obligations, and social charges. Harrington highlights the challenges of understanding bureaucratic hurdles and the trade-offs between simplicity and earning limits, especially for micro-entrepreneurs who face restrictions on income and expense deductions. The chaotic landscape of regulations emphasizes the need for careful planning and awareness of one's rights and obligations.
You can - for example - be an ME, EI, an EIRL or EURL, a SASU, or a SARL. The most basic is an ME - a micro-entrepreneur. It's the easiest form of business set-up for a one-person operation and is deliberately designed to be simple to start and run.
One key downside, however, is that there are strict limits on how much you can earn as a micro-entrepreneur, while the government is in discussions over lowering VAT thresholds.
Another common complaint is that micro-entrepreneurs cannot deduct business expenses. This is not strictly accurate - it's just dealt with at the algorithm level. A single flat-rate amount is automatically deducted when you declare your earnings.
How to set yourself up in business - not to mention actually how to set yourself up in business - can be a whirl of initials and paperwork.
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