uk company operating in france

[kwp5000]

We are really stuck and hope that someone can give us some advice...!

 

My partner and I are in the process of starting a business providing specialist holidays to UK visitors in France. As we live here and are fiscally resident (well I am and he will be as from next year), we intended to register the business in France. So far so good. I toddled off to the relais d'emploi to see what help was available in terms of deferred cotisations etc to be told that we couldn't (probably) operate as a Fr entity as neither of us has a Diplome du Tourisme.  The (very helpful) lady there is still looking into this but it seems unlikely.  First question, can we challenge this? It seems unfair as a French couple could do the same in the UK? I have looked at the Diplome and its not rocket science; I intend to take it but we will be up and running way before this happens.

 

So, her suggestion was that we operate as a Uk company, at least to start with. The problem is that we will need to employ some part time staff from the outset. How do we go about this without resorting to doing it on the black (which we are not planning to do!) or being crippled by social charges? Can we subcontract and if so how would that work?

 

Any help/ advice very gratefully received.

[Nick Trollope]

OK, I'll try this one, having come back from yet another meeting with the Ch de M.

Essentially, in France, you must be qualified (where qualifications exist) to undertake any task on a self-employed basis. Even if you are operating under the guise of a foreign company.

The only way around this is to employ someone to "run" the business for you who is suitably qualified. This would not prevent you from doing the work. You cannot avoid the charges for an employee (which are huge), but you can avoid the administration by using an agency. Allow an extra 60% on top of their salary for charges.

I doubt if you could subcontract, because you would still need the qualifications as the "principal" of the business.

Do you have UK (or elsewhere) travel agency experience? 3 years of this would probably negate the need for qualifications here.