The Good Life France Magazine September/October 2015 | Page 77

Eve’s top three tips for anyone wanting to move to France to set up an online business:

Become an Auto-Entrepreneur: Go on the internet and apply for the Auto-Entrepeneur status, there you will see job categories and the tax status that applies for them. This is a pay as you go tax system which is a great option for small businesses like ours.

Get the right accounts:You will need a French bank account. Once you have this and if you sell goods that need to be posted, go to the post office and get your Carte Pros (your professional account card). This gives you a special rate and enables you to buy your stamps online. Then you can just drop your parcels off without delay (The queues and chat in the post office can see you stuck in there for hours!)

Keep calm about the paperwork:Try not to get overwhelmed by the paperwork. Stephen suggests dealing with things one step at a time and quotes his recent experience importing a vehicle from the UK to France. The paperwork was extensive and whilst there were many steps, each one went smoothly due to being properly prepared and carrying out extensive Internet research. He did this pretty much on his own using Google translate and helpful websites like Anglo Info and www.thegoodlifefrance.com