Newbie here but with questions about SARL and RSI payments

Sorry to jump right in with a question, but my husband and I need advice. My husband has a SARL and like many others we keep hearing about has had some crazy demands from URSAFF and RSI for Cotisations which do not reflect anything like his actual turnover. The problem partly stems from our absolutely useless accountants not submitting books and now these payments are just guestimates. We are working now with new accountants to try and get the books for last two years done to show what his real turnover and salary is. Meanwhile URSAFF has petitioned the court and had his business put into liquidation. All very stressful, but made worse by a visit last week from a firm of bailliffs saying that the RSI payments are our personal liability, not the liability of the SARL and demanding 14,000 euros from us or they will seize our personal assets (eg car).


Does anyone know if this is correct? Are we personally liable for the RSI outstanding payments? We think the 14,000 is a crazy figure and we know when the books are eventually done by the new accountants this figure will be renegotiated with RSI. But should we go ahead and try and pay it or some of it personally? Or should the liquidator of the SARL be dealing with it? Whats the point of having a limited liability company if indeed we are personally liable for the RSI charges that are only as a result of him being Gerant of the company?


Our new accountants tell us that there was a case a while ago in the court of appeal that found that such RSI charges should be the responsibility of the SARL, not the person involved, and have offered to send us a letter we can send to the RSI outlining this, but who knows if this will work.



Any advice would be gratefully received. We've lived in France for over 10 years and my husband is a fluent French speaker, but the stress of dealing with this in French and trying to understand French law on this is driving us both demented.



Thanks everyone.

Like Tracy i can't help on this one but sympathise with your situation - I'm an AE and now everything is running smoothly but it wan't the case to start with. SARL are another ball game and the cotisations are based on a guessed turnover in the first few years - they cause a problem for so many people French too - speak to the RSI and all other parties, your accountant etc to try and resolve it. I think minimum cotisations are around 3500 euros a year, if both of you are in the sarl that's 7000 a year so over two years you're up to the 14 000 € figure. Unforetunately doing business in France doesn't always pay. I hope your new accountant can help on this or try negotiating direct with the rsi.

Bonne chance !

Hi Leanne, How awful for you , we have not had major problems but to be honest every time an envelope from the RSI lands in the letterbox I dread opening it. I don't have any advice apart from to ask how long you have had the business as that makes a difference to the cotisations in the first few years. I'm sure someone will be along soon with something helpful,

All the best

Tracy