Company domiciliation: what does the law say?

A company's registered address is its head office, i.e. its administrative and legal address of reference.

It determines the company's nationality, the competent courts in the event of disputes, and the country in which it is subject to tax. When you set up your business, your registered address is one of the first things you need to know, which is why it's an important question to think about.

Did you know that French law makes it possible to distinguish between a company's registered address and its place of business? It is therefore possible to opt for the services of a domiciliation company, a service provider specializing in legal domiciliation for companies, in order to obtain a prestigious address and benefit from numerous additional services at lower cost.

This service is available to a wide range of companies in a variety of sectors.

Use this article to check your eligibility for this scheme, and boost the growth of your business!

What legal forms are eligible for company domiciliation?

Generally speaking, there are no particular constraints when it comes to domiciling your business, and all legal forms are potentially acceptable.

Dex exceptions should be noted: regulated liberal professions (doctors, lawyers, etc.) are no longer authorized to domicile their business in a domiciliation company. These professions are subject to the rules of their respective orders (bar associations, etc.), which no longer allow this alternative. 

What rules must the domiciliation company respect?

To operate, a domiciliation company must meet a number of quality and regulatory requirements.

First of all:

• She may not work in premises used as a main residence or for mixed professional purposes;
• It must prove that it has legal ownership of the premises, either by owning them or by holding a commercial lease on premises housing other companies.
• It must guarantee to make a clean room available to each of the companies it hosts:
• It must guarantee the level of confidentiality required for the smooth running of business activities (particularly with regard to the rental of meeting rooms);
• It must provide premises where regular meetings of the company's management, administrative or supervisory bodies can be held;
• It must enable mandatory books, registers and accounting documents (commercial and legal archives) to be kept, preserved or consulted.

All domiciliation companies must have prefectoral approval to operate.

All contracts signed between a company and the domiciliation company commit the parties for a minimum of 3 months, and are renewable by tacit agreement unless notice of termination is given.

What are the rules for domiciled companies?

The domiciled company must indicate its domiciliation when applying for registration with the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés. It must also provide the name, company name and registration details of the domiciliation company it uses.

He is also bound by other rules :

• He undertakes to use these premises exclusively as his company's registered office, and for no other activity. If it is located abroad, it may be used as a branch, agency or representative office if the terms of the domiciliation contract so permit;
• He must inform the domiciliary company of any change concerning the purpose of his business, his personal details or those of his company;
• He must authorize the domiciliation agent to receive all notifications on his behalf.

Failure to comply with these obligations is punishable by law?

The laws and regulations governing company domiciliation are not restrictive, and leave the door open to many companies wishing to use this type of service.

Much more than just a mailbox with mail forwarding, domiciliation companies offer a host of additional services to lighten the daily burden of business owners: mail forwarding and digitization, switchboard with call forwarding, administrative and legal assistance, meeting room rental, etc.

Domiciliary companies now offer tailor-made packages to suit all budgets, starting at just a few dozen euros a month.

Choosing a prestigious address lends your company recognition and credibility, while you can enjoy the benefits of working from home.

Last but not least, a domiciliation company ensures that your home address is not made public, thus protecting your privacy. 

A real asset to the success of your project, don't miss out on the opportunities offered by business domiciliation.