Who to contact to register a business and get a VAT reg.

[Salsa]

Hi.
I am writing this as a new thread as I have not come across my situation exactly on here.

I am a jeweller and I want to make and sell my work. I want to set this up via an ecommerce website as well as eventually sell to the small boutiques in my local area.

I need to find out who to speak to in terms of registering the company?
(I think the fact that I am making and selling the goods myself changes this contact)
I need to know how to go about getting a VAT number for this type of company?

I need to know what further steps I need to take to do this correctly?

and more importantly - if anyone can help...I need to know what else should be on my list?

To know how long this can take and how much it can cost would be amazing too!
Any pointers or contacts that can guide me would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance!

[Bevdeforges]

It's not really a "who" to speak to, but a "what." As a jeweller, you should probably go first to the Chambre des métiers et de l'artisanat in your departement. The web portal for the national chambres is here: Portail artisanat, création entreprise artisanale, actualité artisanat

Under the rubrique "Espace créateurs/repreneurs" you should find much of what you need to know about setting up and registering a business as an "artisan." The trick is that there are a couple different sorts of business you could establish, depending on what you estimate your initial turnover to be. It's even possible to start out as an "auto-entrepreneur" which would avoid having to register for the VAT, at least to start out.

How long it will take and how much it will cost depends a great deal on what business form you decide to go with. As an auto-entrepreneur, you can be up and running in a couple of weeks, from all reports. If you decide to use another business structure, figure on a couple of months, as requirements include things like placing an announcement in a local newspaper (not an advert, but a legal announcement of the creation of your company), setting up a business bank account and submitting various copies of documents to the chambre des métiers.

The good news is that the local CMAs have lots of resources to help get you started - including classes you can take and advisors to help you with the paperwork.
Cheers,
Bev

[Salsa]

Thanks Bev, I will have a good read through of everything. We did spend several hours going from office to office in Bayonne only to be told they didn't know where to put us, and by the time we had gone to Chamber of commerce to be told yes it is here...it all changed again when they learnt that I make it myself...then gave us another office/organisation address, by that time everything had closed for the day and we had to come home again...so I wanted to find out more before heading into the darkness once more!

[tabitha]

Hi salsa,

I am an australian freelance photographer wanting to live and work in france, and am currently needing to apply for my SIRET.

Can I ask if you had any advice??? About which regime etc to choose??? Or anything else.

Cheers

Tabitha

[Salsa]

Originally Posted by tabitha

Hi salsa,

I am an australian freelance photographer wanting to live and work in france, and am currently needing to apply for my SIRET.

Can I ask if you had any advice??? About which regime etc to choose??? Or anything else.

Cheers

Tabitha

Hi Tabitha, I am probably not the best person to ask as being from within the EU makes my life a little easier (unless you are an Aussie with a EU passport too?) As a jewellery maker and seller too I was able to register as an auto-entrepreneur at the Chambre de Metier et de l'Artisanat. So far (as it hasn't been very long -literally weeks) I have gone into thier offices and given them all my personal details and company name etc and that was that. I then received papers in the post giving me the info I will need for the Siret etc. . . it is still very early on for me as I only received those papers in the post and we are still feeling our way on what is next! As I am starting from scratch I ama aware that it is only once I start paying taxes that I will be able to join the health system etc,.... When we were looking for the place to regisiter we had a real needle in a haystack time as it was different places for different professions.

For example if I had just been buying jewellery and selling it I would have gone to the Chambre de Commerce, but as I make it myself it changed the ball game!...

SO I guess the first step is to find out where you would slot in as a photographer and how you businesss works. I hope that helps?? Sorry if a bit vague, but it still is a bit to me!!