Transferring the registered office of a SASU: what are the steps involved?

The registered office address of an SASU (Société par Actions Simplifiée Unipersonnelle) is a key factor in attracting new customers, and contributing to the growth of your market share. It can be modified throughout the life of your SASU.

But where should it be domiciled? There are a number of options available to you: choosing the manager's personal home, renting a business premises or using a domiciliation company. This is an important choice for improving the image your company projects to all its stakeholders, as well as its operational performance.

More specifically, the address of the registered office determines its nationality and country of taxation, as well as the competent authorities in the event of a dispute.

Let's take a look at all the steps you need to take to change the address of your registered office to SASU.

Step #1: Update your status

Throughout its life, a SASU can change the address of its registered office. The decision-making process depends on the conditions set out in your company's Articles of Association.

In most SASU companies, this is the responsibility of either the Chairman or the sole shareholder. Modifying the articles of association is strictly regulated by law.

You need to fill in the CERFA M2 form, corresponding to the applicable report . It must be dated, signed and certified by the competent person.

The articles of association can then be modified. All you need to do is replace your old registered office address with the new one. This new version must be filed with the relevant Centre de Formalités des Entreprises (CFE ).

Step #2: Publish a transfer notice in a legal gazette

Then it's time to publish the legal notice of the change of address of your registered office. You are required to publish an announcement in in a legal gazette mentioning your change of registered office. The newspaper in which to publish your announcement depends on the geographical area in which you wish to establish your new registered office. To find out, contact your CFE directly.

There are two possible scenarios:

If your new head office remains under the jurisdiction of the same commercial court, a single legal announcement in an approved newspaper is sufficient.

Your ad must clearly state the change of address, and specify the following elements:

• The company's corporate purpose
• Its legal form (in this case, a SASU)
• The amount of share capital
• Address of new head office
• Unique company identification number
• RCS", indicating the registry office at which the SASU is registered

If your new registered office address is located in a geographical area covered by a different commercial court, you will need to publish two announcements.

The first advertisement must appear in the newspaper responsible for the former commercial court, and the second in the newspaper responsible for the new commercial court.

In this case, you will need to mention all of the following elements:

• Change of registered office
• The corporate purpose of your SASU
• Legal form (in this case, a SASU)
• The amount of share capital
• Address of new head office
• Unique company identification number
• RCS", indicating the registry office at which the SASU is registered
• Indication of the RCS to which the SASU will be subject following its change of registered office
• Contact details (surname, first name and address) of all persons with authority to bind the SASU to third parties. In many cases, these are the sole shareholder or the president.

This service is generally billed at between €185 and €250. It includes payment of court fees, VAT, INPI fees and insertion in the Bodacc.

Step #3: Submit your business start-up application to the appropriate CFE

Once you've completed the formalities for publication in the official gazette, contact the relevant CFE (Centre de Formalités des Entreprises) to submit a complete application for a change of registered address. This must include the following documents:

• CERFA M2 form, duly completed and signed in 3 copies
• Updated and certified articles of association
• If the jurisdiction of your SASU has changed, you'll need a list of the former registered offices, certified as true.
• Certificate of publication in the legal gazette
• Proof of occupancy of the new premises

Step #4: Update all your internal documents

The final step is to update all the administrative, legal and statutory documents issued by your SASU. In concrete terms, this involves modifying :

• Invoices, purchase orders and delivery estimates
• Standard commercial contracts
• General terms and conditions of sale and use
• Legal notices on your website
• Business cards, e-mail signatures, etc.

The purpose of modifying these documents is to inform all stakeholders of your decision as quickly as possible.

Changing your registered office requires a clear, organized and truly structured approach. Most SASU companies opt for the services of services of domiciliation companies These companies offera prestigious address, many essential day-to-day services and tax savings. This is the best alternative to choosing your own home or renting business premises.

This solution enables company managers to concentrate on high value-added activities, and improve the concrete performance of their business.