I will be moving over to France permanently next month and I am struggling with the best way to sort out my income. I currently work for a UK employer and will still work for them when I move. Although I am paid as an employee, I do submit an hours sheet each month, as I am paid for the hours I work.
I will be looking to gradually reduce my hours with them as I obtain work in France and build up an income there - firstly I am looking at possibly working for Leggetts - I currently work in lettings in the UK, so already in the property industry - I know that with Leggetts you are self employed.
My question is - would I be able to change my UK role to a consultant for the company and invoice my hours, therefore registering as self employed as I would then be working for both a UK and French company in the same industry?
This would make my life easier as I can then put all my roles in the same “pot” (including any other works I may do in France in the future), rather than the issue I am currently having with the UK company dealing with me being employed with them in france
There are many lovely, well informed, helpful people on here Michelle, who’s advice is well worth reading. However, what you describe is complex and life will ultimately be easier if you get professional advice too.
A simple rule of thumb is that to be self employed you need to have more than one client. So may not be possible on day 1 - get professional advice on best way to do this.
We work for a uk company both physically in the uk and remotely in France. They’ve signed up to the urssaf/tfe system for the work we do in France, meaning we now pay cotisations each month. It is a fairly easy system to use, but took some help to set it up.
If you’re working for more than one client, then the ME system may be the way forward, but if it’s just for one, then your employer will need to pay you through the French system.
Getting professional help is advisable, but be warned that most English and French accountants struggle with the complexities involved in this.
Good luck with your move
Thanks for your responses - I have decided to do the legwork myself to set up my employer in france, I will also be the representative in france for them - I am hoping its not too complicated to set up, first forms posted off yesterday - will find out when the siret arrives - fingers crossed!
Hi all, I’m in a similar situation (I will move to France and want to keep my job with my UK employer as an employee). I’m starting the admin process to have them registered to the CNFE URSSAF Alsace.
Does your employer end up having to pay higher social contributions? I found that on average UK contributions are around 13% vs 22% in France. Is this the case indeed? If so, has this been an issue for your employer at all re budgets or did you have to touch on how to compensate for this ?
Would you happen to know if the fact that a company socially contributes to an employee in France (and seen as this admin process involves the submission of a DPAE - declaration prior to employment) it means that the employee is also covered by french employee rights law? I would much rather remain under my UK contract even if my social contributions go to France.
Last but not least, same as you Michelle, as I am the employee I am the one taking on all the admin Do you have any guidance re the process of registereing with the CNFE and URSSAF besides it being a bit of an admin headache? To Karen’s point, English and French accountants struggle with the complexities involved in this so I am becoming the expert.
If you work in France you and your employer are subject to the code du travail. All of it, collective wage agreements, working hours, mutuelle cover, sick pay, holiday pay, no cherrypicking allowed as Barnier would say. It is important to be sure you find out all the obligations because the employer can be fined for contraventions, even minor things like not including all the mention obligatoires on your payslips.
Are you sure about the 22% Marie? It sounds a little low to me. I would double check because you may find the employee pays 22% (charges salariales) and the employer pays upwards of 25% (charges patronales). When I employed staff employer + employee contributions usually worked out not far under 50% and I was small business, for some businesses potentially more. But it is possible Macron has reduced the charges.
Do you have any guidance re the process of registereing with the CNFE and URSSAF besides it being a bit of an admin headache? To Karen’s point, English and French accountants struggle with the complexities involved in this so I am becoming the expert.