Legal advice and assistance to secure your business in France

The president of a French SAS can be any individual or legal entity, French or foreign, with no requirement to reside in France. If they will personally work from France, though, they need the appropriate visa or residence permit.

You are civilly liable for management faults that cause loss to the company, its shareholders, or third parties, and criminally liable for offences such as misuse of corporate assets or breaches of the rules on capital, accounts, or bankruptcy. If the company is placed in liquidation, you can also be ordered to cover part of its debts personally where mismanagement contributed to the shortfall.

Yes. The tax authorities can hold you personally and jointly liable for the company's unpaid taxes if you used fraudulent manoeuvres or seriously and repeatedly failed to meet its tax obligations. Similar liability can apply for unpaid social security contributions.

You must approve the annual accounts at a shareholders' meeting within six months of the fiscal year-end, then file them with the commercial court registry within one month (two months if filed electronically). You must also keep the beneficial-owner register and the company's registry information up to date whenever they change.

Anyone who directly or indirectly holds more than 25% of the company's capital or voting rights, or who otherwise controls its management, must be declared as a beneficial owner. The declaration is filed through the Guichet unique and recorded in the National Business Register.

Late or missing filing is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to €1,500 (€3,000 for a repeat offence within a year). The commercial court president can also order you to file under a daily penalty, appoint someone to file on the company's behalf at its expense, or open an inquiry into its financial situation.

You need contracts governed by French law and consistent with the applicable collective bargaining agreement; a group template drafted under a foreign law is not sufficient on its own. We adapt your group's template or draft compliant French contracts for each hire.

The price depends on the nature of the service: an annual package for company secretarial services, or fees per act for an amendment to the articles of association or an exceptional operation. We provide a clear quote once we have identified your needs.