How should a craftsman make his declaration of activity?

Verified 01 January 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Abolition of the Chambers of Crafts and Crafts as CFE

Published on 1 January 2023

Since 1er january 2023, you can no longer carry out company formalities with the Chamber of Crafts and Crafts (CMA). You must report your activity only on internet to the company formalities office. Your company will be registered on the RNE: titleContent, the business register no longer exists. If you are a craftsman or tradesman, it will also be registered at SCR: titleContent.

That's what it says ordinance no. 2021-1189 of 15 september 2021.

To qualify as a craftsman, you must meet certain conditions. If your profession is regulated, you must provide proof (diploma, qualification) of your skills in the trade you wish to practice. You can exercise your craft activity either in the form of a individual business (sole trader or micro-entrepreneur), or as a business (SARL: titleContent, LOCK: titleContent, SA: titleContent...).

For a Frenchman

You can become a craftsman if you are a craftsman or a craftsman.

You must be able to justify your competence in this profession by a diploma, a certification, training or trainingexperience :

You must not have been sentenced to a prohibition on managing (subscription to the FNIG: titleContent).

Please note

Your spouse or Civil partnership partner automatically gets the status of employed spouse if he or she is regularly employed in your company.

For a national of a European Economic Area country

If you come from a country of the European Economic Area (EEA), you must meet one of the following 2 conditions:

  • Have a diploma, one certificate or a certificate preparing them for the pursuit of a craft trade
  • Have practiced this occupation for Minimum 3 years as self-employed

Please note

Any diploma or certificate written in a foreign language must be accompanied by a translation into french certified to conform to the original by a translator sworn.

For a foreigner from another country

If you want to carry out a craft activity in France for more than 3 months, you must have a temporary residence permit (employee).

This card must allow you to have a professional activity.

It replaces the identity card of foreigner trader or craftsman.

Warning  

If you want to do your business as a micro-entrepreneur, you need to do a micro-contractor's declaration and know the specificities of micro-fiscal and micro-social taxation systems.

Prerequisites

Registration at the RNE: titleContent is compulsory to pursue a craft trade as a self-employed person.

This obligation shall apply irrespective of the legal form of your company (individual contractor or business).

You can consult online the list of craft trades and the list of crafts.

Registration formalities

You must register as soon as possible 1 month before the start of the activity or at the latest within Next 15 days the start of the activity.

The approach is free.

Warning  

Since 1er january 2023, it is no longer possible to carry out your procedures in a company Formalities Center (CFE). You must make them on the website of the company formalities office.

Company Formalities Window

You must create personal account. Then you need to click on the column “ Company ” and then click on “File a company”. One interactive online form 8 pages is offered; you must fill it out step by step. A user manual is available on this Single Window website.

You must scan and then upload the supporting documents following:

The companies Formalities Window will send you a acknowledgement of your file. If a document is missing, you will be informed and you will have a 15-day period renewable once to transmit the missing voucher.

The company Formalities Window keeps your data for a maximum of 3 years (the information in your return and the supporting documents provided).

Warning  

The trades directory has been replaced since 1er January 2023 by the National Register of companies (NRS). The D1 excerpt that proved your registration in the trades directory no longer exists. You can download extract from the registration of RNE: titleContent on the Inpi website.

Search for proof of company registration

Please note

If you wish to declare yourself a craftsman under the micro-company (or self-company), you need to know both the specifics of the micro-contractor's declaration and those of micro-fiscal and micro-social taxation systems.

If you plan to work as a craftsman with trips (for example on funfairs), specific conditions apply depending on the type of your traveling activity.

Who can help you?

As a craftsman, your interlocutor is here chamber of trades and crafts from your region. The advisers of the CMA: titleContent are here for you accompany and you advisor in your efforts.

You can call or contact them by mail :

Change of situation

You must declare any change of situation within a period of1 month on the website of Single window for company formalities.

Company Formalities Window

Once you have registered, you will receive the identification numbers of your company.

You receive a Siren number. This is the unique identification number on your company aslegal unit. You must mention this during all your steps (quotes, invoices, D1 extract request, etc.).

The number Siret is thegeographical identifier of each of the establishments in your company. You will also be asked for this very often in your inquiries.

The EPA code is the identifier of your activity. For example, the APE code of a hairdresser is 96.02 A.

The installation readiness course (SPI) is now optional. You can do so if you wish, at your request to your CMA: titleContent.

You must have registered your company first.

It is organized by the CMA: titleContent on which you depend.

The course lasts about 30 hours over 4 or 5 days. You receive a certificate at the end of the internship.

Topics covered include:

  • artisanal company and its environment
  • Business management (market research, invoicing)
  • Legal structure (Head of company responsibility, legal status)
  • Tax regime (VAT, tax regime)
  • Social status (status of self-employed person - SST, employed spouse, social protection)
  • Company management (financial studies, profit and loss account)

The cost of the internship is approximately €194.

You can also ask your CMA: titleContent financial assistance. Some CMAs organize the course remotely, online.

You have to pay the tax CMA: titleContent if you are a craftsman registered on the national companies directory. You pay for it if you are a chef of your company or a manager of your craft business.

The CMA tax consists of a fixed tax and an additional tax.

You only pay the additional tax if you already pay the company property tax (CFE).

The calculation of this CMA fee evolves every year.

In case of temporary cessation of activity, your registration can be maintained during a maximum 1 year.

To do so, you must declare this temporary cessation to the company formalities office.

Company Formalities Window

In the case of parental leave, this period shall be renewable for 3 years.

Company Formalities Window

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