Setting up a SASU in France step by step (2026 guide)

This guide is written for expats and foreign founders by a French CPA, an English-speaking accountant in Paris, with practical focus on accounting in France, French corporate tax, business setup in France and French payroll.

The SASU (Société par Actions Simplifiée Unipersonnelle) is the single-shareholder version of a SAS — France's most popular corporate vehicle for founders, freelancers and holding structures. More than 65% of new single-member companies registered in 2025 chose the SASU over the alternative (EURL).

Three reasons explain this dominance:

• Statutory flexibility: bylaws can include preferred shares, BSPCE warrants, vesting clauses, drag-along, anti-dilution — investor-ready by default.
• Favourable social regime for the president: treated as an "assimilated employee" affiliated to the French general social security system (excluding unemployment).
• Dividends are not subject to social charges in a SASU — unlike the EURL where dividends above 10% of share capital trigger TNS contributions.

This guide, written by Samuel HAYOT, a French CPA based in Paris 8th, walks you through every practical step to set up a SASU in France in 2026, with real costs, timelines, common pitfalls and tax optimisations available from year one.

See also: Salary vs dividends in a SASU: optimisation guide — our companion guide with worked examples on €50k, €100k and €200k profit.

Why expats and foreign founders prefer the SASU#

• English-speaking ecosystem: Paris-based CPAs, lawyers and neobanks (Qonto, Shine) operate fluently in English.
• Remote setup: the entire process is online via INPI; non-residents can be president with valid ID and proof of address abroad.
• Eligibility for French Tech Visa and Talent Passport schemes.
• Tax treaty leverage: works well with US/UK/EU residents under double-tax treaties.

a. Eligible activities#

Almost any commercial, industrial, artisanal or non-regulated liberal activity. Regulated professions (accounting, law, medicine, pharmacy) require specific structures (SEL, SCP).

b. Registered office (siège social)#

1. Personal address — free, but check lease/condominium rules (5-year max if forbidden).
2. Domiciliation provider — €20 to €50/month in Paris (Sedomicilier, Kandbaz, Regus).
3. Commercial lease or business incubator — required for client-facing premises.

A registered office in Paris 8th or 1st notably strengthens credibility with corporates and investors.

c. Trade name & corporate name#

Check availability on:

• data.inpi.fr — registered trademarks
• pappers.fr — existing French companies
• afnic.fr — .fr domain availability

d. Drafting the corporate purpose#

Should be broad but coherent. The APE/NAF code assigned by INSEE flows from this and impacts your collective bargaining agreement, professional insurance and eligibility for grants.

The bylaws are the SASU's internal constitution. They cover:

• Governance (president's powers, optional committees)
• Approval and pre-emption clauses for future shareholders
• Share transfer rules
• Profit allocation
• Conversion to multi-member SAS

Free templates vs custom drafting#

• Free templates (INPI, Bpifrance) — fine for simple solo activities. Risk: no BSPCE, no investor clauses, gaps if you raise capital.
• Custom bylaws by a French CPA or lawyer — €800 to €1,800 excl. VAT. Essential if you plan a fundraise, will onboard a co-founder, or build a holding structure.

Hayot Expertise drafts investor-ready SASU bylaws (BSPCE, vesting, drag-along, anti-dilution) from €1,200 excl. VAT — seed-ready out of the box.

Cash contributions#

Funds are deposited in a blocked account at:

• A traditional bank (BNP Paribas, Société Générale) — 7 to 15 days
• A pro neobank (Qonto, Shine, Propulse) — 24 to 72 hours
• A notary or lawyer (rare)

The deposit certificate is required for INPI registration. Funds unblock automatically once the Kbis is issued (~8 days).

In-kind contributions#

Important — different rule from SARL: in a SASU, a contribution auditor (commissaire aux apports) is mandatory whenever an in-kind contribution is made, with no exemption, regardless of value (article L.227-1 paragraph 5 referring to L.225-14). This contrasts with SARLs which can waive the auditor unanimously below €30,000. See our contribution auditor guide.

How much capital should you put in?#

Mandatory publication in an authorised Journal d'Annonces Légales (JAL) of the registered-office department.

Fixed pricing (decree of 28 December 2020)#

• Paris (75): ~€193 excl. VAT (flat fee SASU formation)
• Other departments: €141 to €175 excl. VAT

Online platforms (LegalStart, JAL.fr) charge the official fee plus a €10–€30 service margin.

Since 1 January 2023, all French company formalities go exclusively through procedures.inpi.fr. The traditional CFE no longer exists.

Documents required#

1. Signed and initialled bylaws (PDF)
2. Bank/neobank capital deposit certificate
3. Legal announcement publication certificate
4. Proof of registered-office occupancy (lease, domiciliation contract, utility bill)
5. President's ID (passport or French CNI)
6. Non-conviction and parentage declaration (INPI form)
7. Beneficial Ownership Declaration (DBE) — €21.41 fee
8. Contribution auditor's report if in-kind contributions

Statutory fees#

Time to obtain the Kbis#

• 3 to 8 business days on average in 2026.
• Monitor your INPI portal — first-time rejection rate is around 30% due to incomplete files.

Unlock the capital#

Present the Kbis to your bank/neobank to convert the blocked account into an operational pro current account.

Insurances#

• Professional liability (RC Pro): mandatory for regulated professions, strongly recommended for all — €300 to €800/year.
• Multi-risk pro if you have commercial premises.
• Cyber insurance for digital activities — increasingly required by enterprise clients.

VAT regime#

The franchise regime is attractive at launch (no VAT to invoice or report) but blocks input VAT recovery on purchases. For asset-light freelancers, it's ideal. For agencies with subcontractors or e-commerce, the simplified regime is usually more profitable from year one.

Annual filings#

Assimilated employee — what it means#

The president is affiliated to the French general social security system: health, basic and supplementary pension (AGIRC-ARRCO), disability/death, but no unemployment cover (private GSC/APPI policies fill the gap, ~€1,500-€3,000/year).

Cost of social charges#

For €1 net received, the company pays roughly €1.55 to €1.70 in total cost (employer 42-50% + employee 22%).

Combining ARE unemployment + SASU#

If you were a salaried employee before and qualify for ARE: pay yourself no salary, keep 100% of the allowance for the full indemnification period (up to 24 months), and live off dividends distributed at year-end. France Travail counts dividends as exceptional income, not as monthly earnings.

Default — Corporate Income Tax (IS)#

• 15% on the first €100,000 of profit (PLF 2026 — major reform vs €42,500 previously)
• 25% above

Optional IR (5 financial years max — article 239 bis AB CGI)#

Cumulative conditions: SASU < 5 years old, < 50 employees, turnover or balance < €10M, eligible activity, individual shareholders only.

Use case: ideal during loss-making launch phase — losses flow through to your personal tax return.

Dividend distribution#

• Approval at the annual general meeting (within 6 months of fiscal year-end)
• Distributable profit = post-IS profit – prior losses – legal reserve (5% up to 10% of capital)
• Flat tax (PFU): 31.4% since the 2026 social security finance act (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies — CSG raised from 9.2% to 10.6%)
• Progressive scale + 40% rebate option remains available if your top income bracket is ≤ 11%

1. Generic bylaws without BSPCE/approval clauses → expensive rewrite at fundraise.
2. €1 share capital → refused account opening at major banks.
3. Home address without lease authorisation → risk of eviction.
4. Forgetting the Beneficial Ownership Declaration (DBE) → fines up to €7,500 and 6 months prison.
5. Missing the 3-month deadline to opt for IR taxation.
6. No CPA in year one → VAT errors and tax-bundle non-compliance triggering audit.

Based in Paris 8th, our firm sets up 80+ SASUs every year, mostly for:

• Freelancers and consultants (tech, marketing, advisory)
• Pre-seed startups (investor-ready bylaws, BSPCE)
• Patrimonial holdings (SASU + operating subsidiary)
• Foreign founders (remote setup, banking introductions, US ITIN coordination if needed)

"Serenity" SASU setup package: €990 excl. VAT, including custom bylaws, INPI filing, Qonto onboarding, optional first-year accounting.

• Bpifrance Création — SASU
• Service-public.fr — Set up a SASU
• INPI single-window portal
• French Commercial Code, art. L.227-1 et seq.
• URSSAF — Company directors

Looking to set up your SASU in Paris or anywhere in France? Contact Hayot Expertise for a free project review and a tailored quote.

See also: Salary or dividends in a SASU | How to choose your accountant in Paris | Business creation service in Paris