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Small business owners should watch out for incorrect payment demands from La Poste
The mistake stemmed from a ‘technical error’ during the roll-out of a new debt-collection system
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MPs reject plan to extend VAT to more self-employed workers in France
Vote reverses proposal to lower exemption thresholds for micro-entrepreneurs
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Change in VAT thresholds for self-employed workers in France delayed
Lack of unanimous decision on matter is behind the delay, says Finance Minister. It may now not be reviewed until the next 2026 budget debate
Simpler future ahead for the self-employed
Self-employed workers will see significant changes next year as traders, artisans and private practice professionals switch from the much-criticised Régime Social des Indépendants (RSI) social security scheme to that of salaried workers, the régime général.

Micro-entrepreneurs (the old auto-entrepreneurs) will also see their earning limits doubled.
RSI currently covers 6.6million people and has been criticised since its earliest days for inefficiency and the hardships it inflicts on people.
Self-employed workers will be transferred to the new Sécu system from January 1, 2018, in a two-year transition period. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said they would maintain their current rules for social charges – someone with takings of €20,000 pays 32% under RSI while charges for salaried staff are 44% – and will have a dedicated service within the régime général.
He promised further simplifications with double declarations to both RSI and the tax office being stopped by 2020. As takings change each month, self-employed will pay charges on each month’s earnings like micro-entrepreneurs.
Cuts in cotisations famille and maladie will compensate for a 1.7% rise in the CSG charge from January 1 and Mr Philippe said it would help 75% of self-employed people whose takings are below €43,000. Someone making the Smic minimum pay would be €270 a year better off and someone earning €2,400 a month €550.
In addition, to encourage the creation of new businesses, start-ups will from 2019 have no social charges to pay in their first year (below €30,000 of revenue). The Cotisation Foncière des Entreprises (CFE) charge will also be scrapped for people earning less than €5,000 a year in a move to help micro-entrepreneurs where average annual earnings are just €3,700 for traders, €5,100 for artisans and €6,300 for private practice professionals.
Micro-entreprises are boosted with a doubling of their earnings limits to €165,000 for traders and €66,200 for service activities while still maintaining much of their simplified business set-up. However, this does not affect the levels for entering the VAT system, of €82,800 for traders or €33,100 for others. Firms that exceed these levels must invoice customers with VAT.
It is thought 50,000 artisans will change to the simpler micro-entrepreneur regime; sparking new accusations of unfair competition from workers who have invested under a different set-up.