What is company domiciliation?

Domiciliating your company is a legal obligation. SeDomicilier invites you to find out what company domiciliation involves and what solutions are available to entrepreneurs.

What is a company's head office?

A company's registered office is its administrative and legal address. It communicates several essential pieces of information:

  • the nationality of the company ;
  • country of taxation ;
  • competent courts ;
  • the relevant tax authorities.

Theregistered office address appears on all official company documents:

  • Social documents: collective agreements, employment contracts, pay slips, etc.
  • Legal documents: Kbis extract, company bylaws, balance sheets, minutes of Annual General Meetings, etc.
  • Commercial documents: Contracts with service providers, invoices, estimates, delivery notes, etc.

Solutions for domiciling your company's headquarters

There are several ways for an entrepreneur to domicile his business:

  • at his personal residence ;
  • at the home of parents or a third party;
  • in rented commercial premises;
  • with a domiciliation company.

Using the services of a domiciliation company offers many advantages, which we'll explore in more detail below.

What are the formalities involved in domiciling your business with your parents?

How to register your company with your parents

If you choose to set up your business in your parents' home, there is an essential process to follow. You need to provide a number of documents to register your company or sole proprietorship (EI):

  • proof of accommodation from your parents ;
  • proof of address in your parents' name (energy bill, water bill, Internet bill, last tax statement);
  • a certificate of ownership.

Restrictions on domiciliation with a third party

If you rent your principal residence, you must obtain the agreement of the owner of the premises, and check that no clause in the lease contains a prohibition. In the case of condominiums, the property manager must be informed. You should contact your local town hall to take into account any prohibition on domiciling your head office at your address.

It is not possible for an entrepreneur to domicile his company with his parents, if he himself has a principal residence. In this case, the entrepreneur must declare his registered office at his own home.

What are the advantages of domiciling your business with your parents?

Domiciliation with a third party offers a number of advantages, especially when starting up your business.

Save time when setting up your business

Domiciliating your business is an essential step in setting up your company. All legal forms are concerned by domiciliation:

  • Sole proprietorships (EI) and micro-enterprises.
  • Single-member companies: SASU, EURL.
  • Classic companies: SAS, SARL, SNC, SA, etc.

During the start-up phase, you'll need to declare a registered office in order to obtain your Kbis extract, your Siret number, your RCS registration or to deposit your share capital. Choosing to domicile your business with a relative or a third party can speed up the start-up process, even if you haven't yet found your own premises.

You can change your registered office address at any time during the life of your company or self-employed business.

Save money when you launch your business

Launching a business involves administrative and operational costs. Acquiring your trading stock or work tools can be a major investment. To save on the cost of renting commercial premises or domiciliation, it may be a good idea to set up your business in your parents' home.

You can domicile your business in your own home. However, this solution has the same disadvantages as domiciling with a relative, whether you are a self-employed entrepreneur or a company director.

What are the disadvantages of domiciling your business with your parents?

The solution of domiciling your business with your parents has certain disadvantages, depending on the situation. While this is a flexible option for independent contractors, it's important to consider the disadvantages.

Risk disrupting the daily lives of your family and friends

Domiciling your business with your parents can bea nuisance. By registering your head office, you make this address public. Government or legal information websites are likely to transmit the location of your company's registered office to the public.

In terms of confidentiality, domiciliation with a third party has its drawbacks. Your relatives or friends may have access to documents sent by the tax or legal authorities. Information sent by mail by your accountant is likely to be read by those around you.

    Registering my company
 

Blending private and professional life

Domiciliating your auto-entrepreneur activity with your parents or friends implies a lack of separation between your private and professional lives. Confusion between the two aspects of your life can affect the development of your business.

If there are disputes with your customers or service providers, they may be able to gain access to the home of the third party hosting you. This can affect your reputation, as well as your family and friendships.

Impact your brand image

Domiciling your business with your parents has a major impact on theimage of your company. Customers and service providers are particularly attentive to the address of your head office. Google business listings give Internet users a visual indication of your head office.

Your customers and service providers need to feel confident when they see the address of your head office. It is therefore essential to select a location that reflects the rigor and quality of your services or products.

A banking institution needs to be reassured when it decides to follow you in granting a loan to develop your business. Depending on the location of your head office, its decision may be influenced.

Risk having your company deregistered

Legislation stipulates that domiciliation with a third party is authorized for the first five years following the creation of the company. After this period, the company must change its domicile. Failure to do so may result in the company being struck off the Register of Commerce and Companies (RCS).

Can you domicile your business in your own home?

An entrepreneur or auto-entrepreneur is entitled to choose his or her personal domicile to define the registered office of his or her business. They must own or rent their principal residence (PR).

Home domiciliation saves on operating costs, especially for micro-businesses. It's also an interesting way of reducing the amount of the cotisation foncière des entreprises (CFE).

Before domiciling your business at home or with your parents, it is important to take into account the following restrictions, depending on the case:

  • Occupants must check that their lease does not prohibit them from carrying out a professional activity within the dwelling. They must also inform their landlord and the co-ownership, if applicable.
  • The occupier-owner must inform his condominium manager if he is concerned. You should also check with your local council to find out whether it is possible to domicile a professional activity in your own home or with a third party.

To avoid any impact on the creation or running of your business, it's important to respect the procedures for domiciliation. Overstepping your rights can cost you money and time.

An alternative: register with a domiciliation company

To launch their business and manage it on a day-to-day basis, micro-entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs have the solution of a domiciliation company.

What is a domiciliation company?

A domiciliation company has prefectoral approval to carry out its business domiciliation activities. This is commonly referred to as commercial domiciliation. This is the administrative address for a company's legal, tax and social management.

The domiciliation company offers P.O. box services to accommodate the head offices of micro-businesses and companies. It offers a range of customized services.

What services does a domiciliation company offer?

A domiciliation company offers à la carte services:

  • Mail management: reception, scanning, dispatch.
  • Telephone switchboard and physical reception.
  • Legal advice.
  • Serviced offices: private or collaborative spaces.
  • Computer equipment: Internet connection, printers, etc.
  • Fully equipped meeting rooms.

Entrepreneurs select the services they need on a daily basis. SeDomicilier designs tailor-made packages. Our experts are with you from the moment you set up your business right through to day-to-day management.

What are the advantages of a domiciliation company?

Commercial domiciliation offers several advantages for auto-entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs.

Protecting your privacy

Domiciliation allows you to preserve your privacy and that of your family and friends. Domiciling your business in your own home or that of your parents means exposing your living space to your company's service providers and customers. Choosing a domiciliation company for your head office offers real peace of mind in terms of privacy.

Develop your brand image

The address of your head office is an essential component of your brand image. Customers and service providers have easy access to this location from Internet sites, particularly Google business listings. An unflattering location is likely to impact your performance.

SeDomicilier has business centers all over France:

  • The prestigious districts of Paris.
  • Toulouse, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Cannes, Nice, Montpellier, Lyon, Nantes, Rennes, Strasbourg, Lille, etc.

Enhance your brand image by choosing a head office in a prestigious area of Paris or the French provinces.

Reduce the amount of the CFE (cotisation foncière des entreprises) tax on businesses

Commercial domiciliation can offer interesting prospects for reducing the cotisation foncière des entreprises (CFE). This property tax is compulsory for all micro-enterprises and companies. The CFE is determined in part by the municipality in which the head office is located.

Paris has one of the smallest CFEs in France. It may be worthwhile domiciling your company in a SeDomicilier business center located in one of the capital's most prestigious districts. Depending on your geographical location, the CFE may be higher in the provinces than in Paris.

The differences between domiciliation and place of business

We've seen that a domiciliation is your company's administrative address. The place of business defines the address where your employees work. For micro-entrepreneurs, this is the place of business. Separating the registered office from the place of operation has a number of advantages for entrepreneurs, particularly in terms of taxation.

What is a virtual office?

Combined with commercial domiciliation, the virtual office brings together all the services needed by the company director or self-employed entrepreneur on a day-to-day basis.

A definition of the virtual office

A virtual office groups together all the dematerialized services enabling an entrepreneur to manage the various components of his business via a personal digital space.

What are the components of a virtual office?

The virtual office allows entrepreneurs to personalize their mail management. SeDomicilier teams receive and digitize your mail. From your online space, you can consult and archive your mail.

Calls can be handled by our switchboard and redirected to your virtual office. You can also leave instructions on how to receive calls.

What are the advantages of the virtual office?

The virtual office offers a number of advantages. You benefit from reduced costs for day-to-day administrative management. You don't have to opt for commercial premises just to have an office.

Use the virtual office service to design and store your legal documents. Legal assistants review your operational documents: articles of association, minutes of general meetings, etc. You have permanent access to all your documents, so you can discuss them with your accountant or legal advisor.

The virtual office offers flexibility. Take advantage of customized online services. SeDomicilier offers a virtual office that adapts to your operational needs.

The virtual office solution guarantees your privacy. It's essential to preserve your home or that of your parents. Opting for a commercial domiciliation offers the possibility of reducing the risk of confusion between private and professional life.

Domiciling your business with your parents can save you money on operating costs. However, there can be disadvantages: influence on private life, impact on brand image, etc. Commercial domiciliation is an excellent alternative.