Starting a AE/ME Business After Retirement

[tim17]

Has anyone started a business here after retiring and if so were there any complications setting it up?

[Polarengineer]

Yes and yes
Our forestry business has been set up by our forest manageress and warned us about creeps that send us very official letters to pay for registry, she also sorts out subsidies and vat claims, she is worth every penny. So I advise you find someone in the same business and make friends fast.

[lindal1000]

I am semi retired on a teacher's pension, and also have a micro enterprise...however I haven't got any sort of state pension yet so maybe that makes it more straightforward.

[Crystal]

Assuming you mean you have claimed your French pension, I don't see why being retired should make any difference, setting up an AE/ME is very straightforward.

I looked into this recently and the only condition I could see is that you can't register for the same activity as the one you were registered for prior to retiring, which seems pretty obvious....

I assume you'd be exempt from some of the social contributions because once you've claimed your French pension you can't add any more to your pension 'pot', but I don't know that for sure and would be interested to know if that is the case.

[mysty]

I'm fairly sure the AE is just for EU citizens but may be wrong.

[Catrose]

Where’s my reply? There are some complications about how you mix and match french pensions with new enterprise. As crystal says the simplest seems to be to separate the two and take french pension before setting up.

Only disadvantage we’ve found is were rejected from getting fonds de solidarité last year as our business income is not our main income.

(Edit...here you are about accumulating the two...https://www.lecoindesentrepreneurs.fr/c ... ite-cumul/)

[Crystal]

I'm fairly sure the AE is just for EU citizens but may be wrong.

If you aren't an EU citizen you must hold a valid residence permit.

https://www.legalstart.fr/fiches-pratiq ... er/#ancre3

[Crystal]

Catrose - thank you for posting that link, it contains some very useful information - which I have now printed out to show our accountant.

[tim17]

Thanks for the replies, this is the scenario -

We currently have a gardening business registered with MSA, I may be able to retire early aged 60 this year so our thoughts were that we would close the business down at the end of the year and start a new AE business in 2022 solely in my wife's name so she can build up pension contributions. Our concerns relate to the provision of healthcare, if I take a pension then I assume my CV will remain with MSA but will they also cover my wife as they do now or will the new business regime (probably RSI) take over?

[mysty]

I'm fairly sure the AE is just for EU citizens but may be wrong.

If you aren't an EU citizen you must hold a valid residence permit.

https://www.legalstart.fr/fiches-pratiq ... er/#ancre3

Thanks, I did not know that.