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CFEs replaced by the one-stop shop for business formalities

Published on February 01, 2023 by Pierre Belhache - 5 mins reading time
SMALL BUSINESSES Companies Procedures Urssaf

Gone are the 6 networks of Centres de Formalités des Entreprises (CFE), which were set up in 1981 to handle the declarations required to set up, modify or close a business. Depending on the nature of the business, entrepreneurs had to contact the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Trades, the Chamber of Agriculture, Urssaf, the tax department or the court clerk's office. As of January 1, these formalities must now be completed online via the one-stop shop for business formalities at formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr.

Objective of the one-stop shop

The 2019 Pacte law introduced the one-stop shop for business formalities with a single objective: to simplify procedures. Indeed, all formalities are centralized, whatever the nature of the activity carried out (commercial, craft, agricultural...) and the legal form chosen (EI, SAS, SARL, EURL...).

On an online platform, formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr, it's easier to track the progress of your application, and quicker to submit additional documents if required.

 

What company formalities are involved?

All companies domiciled in France or carrying on business in France are required to complete the following formalities on the one-stop shop:

  • company registration or declaration of commencement of business,
  • change of activity, name, address, registered office, manager, capital increase or reduction...,
  • declaration of end of activity.

In short, any change affecting the life of the company, from its creation to its cessation.

Electronic filing of annual financial statements is also possible via the "guichet unique des formalités". However, the declaration sociale nominative (DSN) must still be made on net-entreprises.fr, and the payment of social security contributions on portailpro.gouv.fr.

A measure that worries professionals

The platform centralizes around 56 forms and replaces 6 business formalities centers. Not yet fully operational, the one-stop shop has a number of shortcomings. It has been tested by professionals and their opinions are unanimous: cumbersome, difficult to access, counter-intuitive... The Ministry of the Economy itself admits to having noted 11 minor malfunctions.

What's more, many of the sites previously used by businesses have stopped working altogether.

As a period of adaptation is required to use such a tool, we have fortunately provided for a transition phase until March 2023, and a back-up procedure in the event of technical difficulties.

How the one-stop shop works

Declarants, whether company directors or their representatives, must create an account when they log on for the first time. They enter the information they wish to submit online, using a form that can be adapted to suit their situation. He then attaches the supporting documents requested in the form of photos or PDF documents. The progress of the file can be consulted on a dashboard.

The forms are forwarded to the appropriate organizations for processing. These may be INSEE, the tax authorities, the commercial court clerk's office, etc.

 

As soon as a company is created, it is listed in the national register of companies (RNE).

Free online assistance is available on the formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr website, by telephone on 01 56 65 89 98, or in person by making an appointment with the appropriate network.