To be honest, I read the SFN posts regularly but haved posted anything myself because I don't have much to say. However, I was hoping anr SFN member might be able to help me?
I have been really dumb since I arrived here in France, 2009. Last year, 2011, I created my autoentrepreneur status and set-up my bank accounts and Securite Sociale accont. I am also on contract as an "apporter d'affaires" with a company here in France. Additionally, I have recieved my consulting fees from the French company through my autoentrepreneur account at my bank. All good so far except that I have done nothing else. I haven't kept any accounting books, filed anything with Impots France...., simply put I have done nothing and now find myself in a difficult situation as 2011 taxes are due. My wife is French (I am a Canadian) and I have my Titre de Sejour as well. I am not sure how to proceed and furthermore I am an Anglophone with very little French. Again, to be brutally frank, I have no idea how to proceed and don't have the funds to find an accountant who could perhaps help me out.
Hence, my note to seek advice. I guess I'm in deep S__t by not having done anything or filed anything? If you need to contact me outside of the SFN email system, you can reach me at my Gmail address (ian dot cameron at gmail dot com) or mobile 06 15 11 13 34 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 06 15 11 13 34 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Best regards,
Ian
Hallo Ian
I've found that in France generally you can get conflicting advice and as regards the auto-entrepreneur status, the anglophone community seem to the most sussed about how it all works because a lot of us use it for our various activities! All the most useful and practical information and advice I've had is from the members of this splendid site and I think if you follow Emily's and Pam's advice you'll be fine - not to say that it isn't great to have professional advice if you can find the right professional who really does know what they are talking about, if you can afford it. I've had some very disappointing experiences and come to the conclusion that one is better of doing it oneself - however I'm sure the people recommended here will be fine and very helpful. When I went to the URSSAF about a year and a half ago to get some advice before setting up, they basically told me that it was all on-line anyway and to go away and look it up and stop bothering them. An accountant I spoke to in Beaumont didn't seem to have a clue (small town!) and a very annnoying 'specialist' who came to talk to the English Teachers' association in Toulouse to tell us all about how it worked gave no useful information at all and left us none the wiser. If you put together some accounts somehow, as accurate as you can possibly make them (and I massively empathize here because it's what I always have to do - a week of hell with bank statements and a year's worth of receipts in a total mess)! and follow the online instructions it all seems to work fine. Your wife could presumably help you with the French here and you don't need to spend ages queuing at the URSSAF or in the tax office or put yourself through the stress of having to deal with officials in French. Doing things online allows you to pay your dues honestly whilst not getting too embroiled and bogged down in the bureaucracy. The only problem that might arise is if you have gone over the limit of what you can earn as an auto entrepreneur in which case then I think it would be wise to get professional advice to find out what your options are.
Very best of luck!
Just to echo what Emily and Pam have said, once you've registered and got your siret number etc. all you have to do is fill in your quarterly déclaration de recettes and pay the 12/18/22% cotisations 13/19/23% if you pay tax at the same time (figures not exact and depend on whether you're sales/prof libérale/service). URSSAF do the rest, you should have your carte vitale too. Have you just received your avis d'impôts? If not, why not? Are you sure the registration went through if you haven't received quarterly bills and an avis d'impôts...? the book keeping is incredibly simple as Emily has said - I keep do it using excel and it's so easy, no need for accountancy software at all. Once you've done your accounts - just log and add up what you've invoiced and been paid, you fill in the avis d'impôts just the same as your OH - she should be able to lead you through it. You'll have to complete 2042C as well if you've been paying tax on your cotisation (versement libératoire de l'impôt sur le revenu) - again just one box to fill in which we've covered in another thread here, 5TB if I remember correctly.
Bonne chance ;-)
I too registered as an AE about 18 months ago, (i set mine up on their website) URSSAF should have been sending you a form every 3 months to declare your earnings and pay your cotisations, which is 20% of everything. When it came to tax, URSSAF ssent me a declaration of earnings for 2011 which we to took to our friendly tax office with everything else & they filled the tax forms out for us.
I can only suggest that if i was in your position i would check through my business account statements for the last year and make a record of them now. Then take that to the tax people. It may be worth also taking it along to your nearest chambre de metiere also. Or wait for them to contact you, depends how brave you are. I have noticed that when the quarterly form comes it has a very short deadline date, usually less than a week, for when they expect it back and think if you are late they will charge penalties, i was late once however and wasn't charged anything.
Mine is a very small enterprise with low income, i don't know what your situation is but if there is a lot of money at stake it may be worth getting professional help, just in case.
Hope that helps a bit and good luck.
Thanks Nick - I will follow your advice.
Hi Ian,
I empathise with your situation, but I am going to suggest that not enlisting specialist professional help in your situation is likely to prove a false economy very quickly. However, specialist accountants can, I know, cost an arm and a leg.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had recommended to me a very helpful lady by the name of Kate Brehaut who is based in Guernsey. Here is her site: La Belle Vie (Guernsey) Ltd.
Kate helped me through all the hoops of establishing myself as a self employed business owner in France and dealt with my tax and URSSAF registration in a very unfussy way that left me free to get on with the more enjoyable job of expanding my business (as well as skiing and walking in the Alps :-)
I found her very reasonable when it came to charges and really good value considering the work she put in on my behalf.
My advice is to at least call her for a chat. I am confident your problems will seem smaller after just that!
Best of luck.
Nick