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earning a living in France , registering


srw
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Re earning a living in france  , help please .. my wife(56)and myself(59) have been considering moving to France permanently and we are now at the "when " stage rather than "if" . I have just been unexpectedly  made redundant so the matter is now more pressing . Having spent 40 years in roro ferry operations and European road freight I am reasonably familiar with French beaurocracy , however moving to France would probably be an opportunity to return to carpentry in which I was self employed for 11 years between 1985 and 1997 so I  am considered  time-served.  I still have all my professional equipment and would set this up as a priority in order to work on our own property. We will only have our UK state pension coming to us in later years and therefore must make a crust in the intervening period . Although I am confident about studwork ,plasterboard , second fix etc , I envisage doing this type of work on my own property only , I won t be going about calling myself a "building joiner" ,  but once set up I would be able to manufacture free-standing furniture , tables / dressers etc in my own workshop . My question is - by working only from home in this way , not going out "on site" , would this simplify registering myself , and what would I register as ? Would I need to pass some kind of test or have somebody watch we work in order to qualify ? Would I need to register at all ?
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If you are running a business selling items or providing a service you HAVE to be registered to do so here in France if money is involved. There will be compulsory social charges to pay and you will probably have to register at least as a micro business whereby no TVA is involved or a fully fledged artisan which involves all the bodies including Taxe Profesionnelle to your commune and Taxe d'apprentissage to name but a few. Your home would be classed as your siége sociale or registered address and your local Chambre de Metiers would let you know what qualifications they require for registering and for a SIRET number. Be warned France is an expensive country in which to be self employed and is gradually strangling anyone who wants to do so.
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You,ve just had the bad news there, the good news is that it is possible. Go to your nearest Chambre de Metiers and ask there, and you will get all the info you need. To register as a joiner or carpenter you will need proof of qualifications or attestations that you have been employed in the building  trade or furniture making trade, perhaps your accountants can help you. If you dont want to make a serious amount of money then register as a Micro Enrerprise and flog your stuff from home or in the the local markets, maybe best contact Chambre de Commerce for that one. The fact is that it can be done, dont get put off by charges, we all have to pay them here or in UK and it pans out pretty close, go on take the plunge. It worked for me, 2 years gone, so it can work for anyone, Hugh.

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VAL-2   THANKS , ALL COMMENTS AND ADVICE ARE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED EVEN IF A LITTLE DEPRESSING  , I ACCEPT THAT WE MUST BE PERHAPS AWARE OF THE PITFALLS RATHER  THAN THE GOOD STUFF IN THE RUN-UP TO ANY FINAL DECISION AND IT ALL HELPS TO BUILD A PICTURE .

STEVE 

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HUGH ,  CHEERS , I FEEL BETTER AGAIN . AS MENTIONED TO VAL-2 THIS ALL HELPS AND I HAVE PULLED MYSELF UP WITH MY OWN BOOTLACES A BIT ...

MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL COMING UP.

STEVE

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Hugh , re getting attestations as you have suggested -  would it be sufficient to have letters or statements from two or three people i have worked closely with , rather than quallifications ?Confused [8-)]

 

steve

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Chambre de Metiers (in 16) wanted letter from ex employer translated into French by official translator (get name and address from your Mairie) or tax/accountants papers as proof of self employment. If you were self employed for 11 years you must still have something official as proof?

If you subcontracted to someone, a latter from them may be sufficient. Best to go ask what your particular CdeM will accept.
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I can give

you a list of the sort of justifications that authorities such as the Chambre

de Metiers have already asked for sworn translations of and you can see which

ones you can provide:

- professional qualifications / certificates

- attestations from insurance agents to prove having taken out professional

public liability insurance

- attestations from apprenticeship training committees

- certificates or attestations from City & Guilds

- attestations from former employers

In order to be translatable by a sworn translator, these various documents must

be authentic and verifiable. That means the translator must be able to contact

the person who delivered them to verify himself / herself of their authenticity.

So they must have the issuer’s contact details and a signature.  If they have a letterhead and are stamped, so

much the better.

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[B]

Peter ,thanks for this - I shall be locating old tax docs., workshop/liability insurance and I can get a couple of letters from former associated firms attesting to my being time-served

steve srw

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