Few auto-entrepreneurs take up training allowance

Each auto-entrepreneur or micro-entrepreneur pays the training tax Contribution à la Formation Professionnelle (CFP) as a percentage of turnover (0.3% for artisans, 0.2% for professions libérales and 0.1% for commerçants).

All are also affiliated to a collection agency (either RSI or Urssaf [to be centralised under Urssaf from January 1, 2018) and a Fonds d’Assurances Formation (FAF) with Fafcea for artisans, Agefice for commerçants and Fifpl for professions libérales.

You contact your FAF if you want financial aid for training – and to get details of how it works, as each is different.

You will need to provide proof your cotisation payments are up to date (which you can obtain/download from your collection agency), proof that you have attended the training sessions (signed by the training group) and a paid invoice (marked ‘acquittée’) from the training group as in most cases you must pay in advance and be reimbursed.

RSI or Urssaf may send you an attestation de versement to the FAF each year but note that the sum shown is your payment made and not the training entitlement.

The average training budget for each auto-entrepreneur is €1,000 a year and a total of €11million a year is taken from auto and micro-entrepreneurs; but only a tiny portion is used – and the allowance does not roll up year on year.

Funding can be used for professional training to improve or gain qualifications, web marketing, business management and for certain driving lessons and to improve your French.

However, each FAF has priority themes and min/max periods of training, such as a minimum of six hours of training to be considered relevant and up to 14 hours for hygiene training in food businesses.