Why change your company's address in France?
There are several reasons for changing a company's address. The main one relates to relocation. When your company moves to a new town, your Post Office address also changes.
Although this change of address may seem logical, it doesn't happen spontaneously: you need to take steps with the administrative services and your customers to confirm the transfer. This is the only way you'll continue to receive official mail relating to VAT and other administrative notifications, letters from international partner organizations and companies, and so on.
You can also change your company's mailing address for prestige reasons.
When it comes to signing contracts with suppliers or partners at home or abroad, credibility plays a decisive role. For example, having your company registered at an address in a major city such as Paris, Lyon or Strasbourg is enough to make you more credible. You may decide to transfer your P.O. box address simply to attract certain customers or partners.
Finally, if you use the services of a business domiciliation agency in France, there are also financial advantages to changing your mail address. If the domiciliation specialist offers a mail forwarding service, this option sometimes reduces the cost of managing letters and correspondence for professionals.
To guarantee the long-term stability of your company's mail communications, you need an official postal address. Some professionals opt for a box at a post office, but this solution is often restrictive and only suitable for a short period. An ambitious company with plans to expand internationally should consider having its own personalized address, for receiving letters, parcels and so on.
The steps involved in transferring an address depend on the type of business you run.
You work as a freelancer, with an office in your home
If you work from home as the director of a one-man business, your home address and your company address are the same. A change of address therefore usually occurs when you move house. Contact your Caisse d'Allocation Familiale (CAF), via your personal online space, to inform them of your move. You will also need to declare your change of address for mail to the private entities with which you have contracts (insurance contracts, bank, Internet contracts, electricity or gas supplier, etc.).
Finally, as far as your company is concerned, you need to fill in an online P2 form (Cerfa no. 11678) to notify the tax authorities of the change of address. You then pay the registry fees and send your change-of-address file to the guichet unique des entreprises. The file includes the form, proof of payment of the registry fees and proof of the new address.
You run a company in Paris or elsewhere
If you're running a company, the process of changing your company's mailing address is a little more complex. Whether you're running a société par actions simplifiées (SAS), a société anonyme (SA) or a société anonyme à responsabilité limitée (SARL), formalities will nevertheless be carried out via the guichet unique (which replaces all CFEs or business formalities centers from January 1, 2023).
In the corporate context, a postal address transfer that is not temporary corresponds to a firm change of registered office address.
You'll need to provide a number of details and documents relating to the change. To change your registered office in the administrative records, you'll need to make a modification entry in the RCS (Register of Commerce and Companies). Along with your P.O. Box, your postal code may have changed. Such a modification can only take place if you provide certain supporting documents.
You will therefore need to send the following documents to the one-stop shop:
- a copy of the decision to change the registered office;
- updated and certified articles of association ;
- proof of occupancy of the new offices or premises;
- notice of publication in the Official Journal.
In addition to these documents, you will also need to complete and submit an M2 form (Cerfa no. 116182). In addition to changing the company's details in the RCS, all these steps will entail updating the Kbis.
Subscribe to an online direct debit contract, to transfer your mail address without moving house.
Thanks to online domiciliation services, a company can transfer its address without having to move. Such an update would enhance the company's international image, streamline the processing of incoming mail and parcels, and so on.
The contract offered by domiciliation companies can include the operation of a postal address, a letter scanning service, a mail forwarding contract, temporary access to meeting rooms as required, etc.
If you're thinking of transferring your company's mailing address, you don't have to go through the financial hassle of moving. Adopt the solution offered by the online domiciliation service, whether you're based in France or abroad. Available on a monthly subscription basis, with rates varying from one offer to another, this service is simpler and less costly.
Depending on the services required, you can subscribe to a range of domiciliation packages from domiciliation professionals such as SeDomicilier. Depending on the package you choose, you can receive assistance in submitting your change of address to the "guichet unique des entreprises". The domiciliation professional can also forward or redirect any administrative mail you receive.
Written by our expert Phil D.
November 16, 2023
