“Can I Work Remotely in France?”
Implied on this query is the adverb “legally” since, in fact, anybody can open a laptop computer anyplace in France and work remotely.
However in the event you pose this query in a Fb or Telegram group, or on a discussion board, or within the feedback part of an article, be ready to listen to very spirited defenses of each “Sure” and “No” solutions. And regardless that I very a lot weigh in on the “Sure” reply to this query, I absolutely perceive why the “No” persons are adamant.
On the coronary heart of this query is absolutely a difficulty of taxation, which is a giant deal in France.
Your tax information are an essential a part of numerous functions you’ll have right here in France, significantly for citizenship.
You might be required to file taxes so long as you’re a resident of France. Even in the event you’re not resident in France, you’ll need to file taxes if you’re incomes any sort of earnings in France. This most frequently applies to those that personal rental property right here.
Submitting taxes, in fact, is totally different from paying taxes. You solely pay taxes in case you have taxable earnings, and there are specific insurance policies and exclusions that may scale back that quantity for any given particular person.
What’s essential for any tax authorities that come knocking is a story. It’s worthwhile to seek the advice of with an accountant and presumably an legal professional by yourself specific state of affairs, however with regards to France and lots of different international locations on the planet, the distant work query was clearly by no means anticipated in present legislation and doesn’t look to be crucial problem to be resolved because the world recovers from Covid-19 and is heading into an power disaster centered in Europe however that will probably be felt across the globe.
Right here’s a situation.
I’m an American businessman taking my household to Paris for a week-long trip. Whereas there I take two hours of enterprise calls every day, that are billable hours to his shopper.
The “No” folks would argue that I’ve now “labored in France” illegally.
Right here’s one other.
A South African businesswoman has a Chilean-based enterprise however does a consulting name with somebody residing in Marseille.
The “No” folks would argue that this South African entrepreneur has now “labored in France” illegally.
The legal guidelines on the books by no means anticipated that “work” could possibly be one thing digital and that billable conversations could possibly be occurring between international locations, a lot much less continents.
In each of those instances, the nation the place the enterprise is domiciled can simply be thought of the place the place the enterprise occurred, and any earnings derived from these international locations will have to be reported by the person incomes that earnings in these international locations. Some could select to assemble or construe it one other approach, however that’s as much as them.
Under no circumstances can these be construed as slam-dunk “working in France” situations.
However let’s transfer from these hypothetical conditions to what I’ve witnessed as I’ve helped a whole lot of individuals get their visas to come back to France through the years: the French authorities, each earlier than and after 2020, has persistently permitted Lengthy Time period Keep Customer Visas during which the “proof of earnings” the applicant introduced got here within the type of a letter from an employer who acknowledged that his/her worker could be working remotely.
So, at the very least so far as the visa-granting portion of the French authorities is anxious, it’s completely authorized to work remotely in France.
The identical can also be true for actual property. In the event you personal actual property in France, you’re allowed to earn earnings from that actual property, even in the event you don’t stay within the nation. However it’s essential to declare that earnings to the French authorities.
US-based distant employees will find yourself declaring their US earnings to the French, albeit in an oblique approach. While you file your taxes in France, as I’ve for nearly a decade now, there’s a line merchandise for worldwide earnings, which in my case, is often additionally derived from the US. If I have been a distant employee, my earnings would have originated there and I might have paid taxes in that jurisdiction.
In response to the “no distant working in France” crowd, the a part of the French authorities that points visas to those that are overtly stating their intent to work in France, the French authorities is incorrect.
Now, to be clear, that is potential. It could possibly be that totally different departments of the federal government are in battle with one another on coverage and {that a} future ruling will make clear this problem. It wouldn’t be the primary time that this occurred in a authorities, French or in any other case.
However for the second, not solely are you able to legally work remotely in France, you possibly can even inform the French authorities you intend to take action.
