Freelance translation for six month in France - registration for French tax
Thread poster: Oscar Hughes
Oscar Hughes
Oscar Hughes
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:35
German to English
+ ...
Sep 6, 2019

I am currently based in the UK, and would like to start taking on freelance translation work. I am considering moving to France for six months to improve my French.

Would I need to register as an 'micro-entreprise' in France, make a tax declaration, open a dedicated French bank account and make social security contributions even if I am only in France for six months? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't earn enough to actually pay French income tax. How long does it take to receive the SIREN
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I am currently based in the UK, and would like to start taking on freelance translation work. I am considering moving to France for six months to improve my French.

Would I need to register as an 'micro-entreprise' in France, make a tax declaration, open a dedicated French bank account and make social security contributions even if I am only in France for six months? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't earn enough to actually pay French income tax. How long does it take to receive the SIREN code? I have been registered for Self Assessment in the UK for the last two years but have never worked enough independently to actually make a tax declaration.

I have studied languages and linguistics (BA and MPhil, my BA involved translation but I don't have a translation MA) at Cambridge and have completed translation internships at an agency in Germany, the European Commission and a national government translation service. I have not done significant amounts of work as a freelance translator in the past. I have two contacts at agencies who are interested in sending me work (in Germany and Switzerland) and would contact other agencies. Would it be reasonable to expect to get enough work to make 500-1000 euros a month as a beginner (working from German, Italian and French into English)?

Answers are welcome in English, French or any other major European language.

[Edited at 2019-09-06 14:36 GMT]
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Jean Dimitriadis
Jean Dimitriadis  Identity Verified
English to French
+ ...
Check the International tax treaties, then the French law Sep 6, 2019

Hi Oscar,

If you are considered a Resident of France for tax purposes, you may need to create a micro-entreprise.

To determine that, I suggest you read the following article first (content is also available in English):

https://www.impots.gouv.fr/portail/resident-de-france-residents-france

To understand whether you
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Hi Oscar,

If you are considered a Resident of France for tax purposes, you may need to create a micro-entreprise.

To determine that, I suggest you read the following article first (content is also available in English):

https://www.impots.gouv.fr/portail/resident-de-france-residents-france

To understand whether your tax residence will be in France during your stay (depending on your specific situation), you will have to review the applicable international treaties between the UK and France, and more specifically the "Double taxation convention", available here:

in French: https://www.impots.gouv.fr/portail/files/media/10_conventions/royaume-uni/royaume-uni_convention-avec-le-royaume-uni-impot-sur-le-revenu_fd_5835.pdf
In English: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/496672/france_dtc_-_in_force.pdf

PS: The Double taxation convention is independent from UE membership, so I doubt the looming Brexit will change anything in that regard, although I don't know for sure.
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Axelle H.
 
Laurent Mercky
Laurent Mercky
France
Local time: 17:35
Chinese to French
+ ...
just do it Sep 6, 2019

Oscar Hughes wrote:

I am currently based in the UK, and would like to start taking on freelance translation work. I am considering moving to France for six months to improve my French.

Would I need to register as an 'micro-entreprise' in France, make a tax declaration, open a dedicated French bank account and make social security contributions even if I am only in France for six months? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't earn enough to actually pay French income tax. How long does it take to receive the SIREN code? I have been registered for Self Assessment in the UK for the last two years but have never worked enough independently to actually make a tax declaration.

I have studied languages and linguistics (BA and MPhil, my BA involved translation but I don't have a translation MA) at Cambridge and have completed translation internships at an agency in Germany, the European Commission and a national government translation service. I have not done significant amounts of work as a freelance translator in the past. I have two contacts at agencies who are interested in sending me work (in Germany and Switzerland) and would contact other agencies. Would it be reasonable to expect to get enough work to make 500-1000 euros a month as a beginner (working from German, Italian and French into English)?

Answers are welcome in English, French or any other major European language.

[Edited at 2019-09-06 14:36 GMT]


1) …………………est-il nécessaire de faire une tonne de démarches juste pour 6 mois ?
Comptez bien 2 mois pour terminer toutes les démarches administratives. Et nul besoin d'ouvrir un compte pro si vous gagnez moins de 5000 euros/an (nouvelle loi)
Le statut de M-E serait intéressant si vous souhaitez continuer à vivre en France par la suite et gagner des sous de cette façon.
2) Des diplômes universitaires sont un + pour demander un meilleur salaire, mais au final, on peut gagner énormément (genre 2 000 euros/mois) en ayant juste le baccalauréat si on est excellent dans ce job et si on a des clients importants dans sa poche.


Axelle H.
 
Axelle H.
Axelle H.  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 17:35
English to French
do it Sep 6, 2019

Je réponds en français, plus facile pour moi à cette heure-ci;)

Laurent et Jean sont tous les deux d'excellents conseils (d'ailleurs merci pour les liens Jean).

Je suis en train de transférer deux business ( le mien en tant que française et celui de mon mari qui est anglais) en France et crois moi, pour 6 mois ça ne vaut pas le coup de faire toutes ces démarches. Garde une adresse anglaise, ouvre une ltd, process assez simple pour l'ouverture d'une société. (Ne
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Je réponds en français, plus facile pour moi à cette heure-ci;)

Laurent et Jean sont tous les deux d'excellents conseils (d'ailleurs merci pour les liens Jean).

Je suis en train de transférer deux business ( le mien en tant que française et celui de mon mari qui est anglais) en France et crois moi, pour 6 mois ça ne vaut pas le coup de faire toutes ces démarches. Garde une adresse anglaise, ouvre une ltd, process assez simple pour l'ouverture d'une société. (Ne pas oublier que notre leimotiv à nous, français, est pourquoi faire simple quand on peut faire compliqué).

Concernant le chiffre d'affaires (à ne pas confondre avec le revenu mais en Ltd, c'est facile de faire le calcul), vu que tu travailles avec plusieurs paires de langues, tu devrais atteindre ton objectif, je dirais raisonnablement en 2 ans maxi. Mais le marché est un peu bizarre en ce moment (il y a que moi pour avoir cette impression ?) et comme tout cela n'est pas une science exacte, who knows ?

En tout cas, bonne chance Oscar, et bon séjour dans notre beau pays !

[Edited at 2019-09-06 20:34 GMT]
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Laurent Mercky
 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:35
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Seriously consider other possibilities Sep 7, 2019

Of course, everything depends on if, when and how Brexit happens. If a hard Brexit arrives before you arrive in France, you won't have the right to take up work there without a visa. But let's ignore that unknown for the moment.

Others have given info on the "how" of working there as a freelance translator. I'd like you to consider for a moment the "why".

You don't currently have a client base to lose, so freelancing isn't an imperative. It's also well known that it ta
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Of course, everything depends on if, when and how Brexit happens. If a hard Brexit arrives before you arrive in France, you won't have the right to take up work there without a visa. But let's ignore that unknown for the moment.

Others have given info on the "how" of working there as a freelance translator. I'd like you to consider for a moment the "why".

You don't currently have a client base to lose, so freelancing isn't an imperative. It's also well known that it takes several months to build anything resembling a solid client base, so you could find your earning ability is very limited. But maybe money isn't a concern as this is primarily a learning opportunity. So let's think of that objective only.

As a freelance translator, you'll sit at home, on your own, working from any of your languages into English and communicating with clients mainly (exclusively, in my case) by email. You may well be tired in the evening and want to stay at home. That leaves just the weekends to interact with French people and achieve your main objective. As an EFL business trainer in France, one of my students was an aspiring air hostess (sorry, 20th century term, I know) who spent six months in London - to learn English. She worked in a busy bar (with its set phrases - "ice and lemon?", "that will be..."). Stupidly (her own word), she gravitated towards French people to socialise with and arrived back in France with negligible improvement in her English. She actually had to give up her dream.

So, I think you should consider alternatives that will encourage (force?) you to actually speak French at all times. An in-person job in one of your potential areas of specialisation as a translator would be ideal. In an office situation you'll have coffee and lunch breaks, after-work drinks in a bar around the corner, and you'll probably find your first weekend friends from among your colleagues. Just make sure they're French speakers .
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 16:35
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Another possibility Sep 7, 2019

As according to your CV you have been doing several interesting internships, why don’t you apply for an internship in a French agency? It would improve both your proficiency in the French language and in translation…

 


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Freelance translation for six month in France - registration for French tax







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