A company domiciled at home does not necessarily mean professional practice at home. Domiciliation consists of giving an “address” to your company. However, nothing prevents you from working elsewhere: coworking spaces, client or partner companies, train or even café, you are free to practice wherever you want. But in case you also want to work from home, rules related to the reception of your customers may limit you. The domiciliation of your company at home, advantages and limits
Domiciliating your business at home has many advantages, especially when launching an activity. Indeed, this makes it possible to minimize costs by avoiding, home contractors for example, using a domiciliation company.
But beware, if this solution seems more economical and simpler for your activity, the domiciliation at home has limits. It all depends on the activity, but the business address can influence the credibility of your business. It is therefore necessary to think carefully about the address of domiciliation if you plan to move shortly. Indeed, the change of address of the registered office generates costs (legal announcement of transfer of seat, registry fees …).
If there is a difficulty, it is for entrepreneurs who wish to operate from home. Not all entrepreneurs need business premises to operate. If you find yourself in this case, pay attention to the conditions relating to the exercise of your profession at your home. The domiciliation of your company at home, what are the rules to know?
Domiciled at home does not necessarily mean practicing at home. But if this is the case, there are very specific rules to be allowed to receive your customers directly at your home. Do not confuse domiciliation and exercise of your activity
Domiciliating your company at your home consists of making your place of residence, your registered office (administrative address of your company). But this does not mean that you are allowed to carry out your activity from home.
In principle, tenant or owner, you are authorized to practice at home but this provided that:your lease and/or your co-ownership regulations do not prohibit it,this is your principal residence,It is you who carry out your activity at your home!
But even if you do business at home is allowed, you won’t be able to receive customers or even goods as you see fit. More restrictive cases for the exercise of your activity
For cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants and for the departments of Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne, the domiciliation of your company at your home leads to a change of use of the premises. An authorization from the mayor is necessary for the exercise of your activity and therefore to be authorized to receive customers. Except for dwellings located on the ground floor
There is an exception if your home is located on the ground floor. You then have the opportunity to receive customers (or goods) if your activity does not cause any nuisance or danger to the neighborhood.
Moreover, many freelancers arrange their workspace independently of their ownership (medical practitioners, coaches, etc.). Of course this is possible while being vigilant not to cause discomfort to the neighborhood and not to be prohibited by the condominium regulations.
So you can’t receive your customers as you see fit. But then what solutions are available to you? In fact, the question often does not arise, even for most freelancers, it is rather your customers who welcome you into their home. Typically, management consultants move from one company to another without necessarily needing a personal space, except to do a little accounting follow-up once a month. Although your home is your place of work, you can book a meeting room to receive your clients by booking:in a coworking space,in a business incubator,or any other company offering the reservation of a suitable room.
Many premises are adapted and made available to companies for any type of reception (weekly meeting, customer reception, conference, seminar …), for costs often quite accessible. The advice of our accountants for the domiciliation of your company
For some activities, the question does not arise. Typically, a freelance web developer working at home will not need to receive his customers or receive goods to write his lines of code.
But of course, this is not the case for many entrepreneurs. It is quite possible to domicile your company at your home and receive your customers at home (if you are allowed) or within a dedicated premises.
But if you commonly have to receive customers, compare domiciliation at your home and domiciliation within another suitable structure (domiciliation company, business incubator …) which can offer in addition to domiciliation, many other services including the provision of an office or a room to receive your customers.
