The SASU (Société par Actions Simplifiée Unipersonnelle) has become the go-to structure for single founders in France, thanks to its flexibility, limited liability and the assimilated-employee social status of its president. This guide walks through what a SASU is, how to create one, and the accounting and tax obligations that follow.
What is a SASU?
A SASU is simply a SAS (simplified joint-stock company) with a single shareholder. It offers limited liability, meaning your personal assets are protected, and a great deal of freedom in how the company's statutes are drafted. It is especially popular with freelancers, consultants and startup founders.
| Structure | Shareholders | President's social regime | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SASU | One | Assimilated employee | Solo founders wanting flexibility |
| EURL | One | Self-employed (TNS) | Solo founders wanting lower social charges |
| SAS | Two or more | Assimilated employee | Startups with several partners |
| Auto-entrepreneur | One (individual) | Micro-social | Testing an activity, low turnover |
Advantages and trade-offs
- Limited liability up to the amount contributed as capital.
- The president is an assimilated employee, benefiting from the general social security scheme (but not unemployment insurance).
- Highly flexible statutes — you shape governance to suit your plans.
- Easy to bring in investors later by converting to a SAS.
- Social charges on remuneration are higher than for a TNS manager in an EURL.
Step-by-step: creating your SASU
- Draft the statutes (statuts), defining the company's purpose, capital, and governance rules.
- Deposit the share capital into a blocked bank account and obtain the certificate of deposit.
- Publish a notice of incorporation in a legal announcements journal (journal d'annonces légales).
- Compile the registration file, including statutes, proof of address, and the president's ID and declaration of non-conviction.
- Register the company through the Guichet Unique (the INPI single window) to obtain your SIREN/SIRET and Kbis.
- Set up your accounting, and register for TVA where relevant.
Share capital
There is no legal minimum capital for a SASU — you can technically start with €1 — but a realistic capital level improves credibility with banks, clients and suppliers. Capital can be contributed in cash or in kind.
Tax and social obligations
A SASU is subject to corporate income tax (impôt sur les sociétés, IS) by default, though an option for income tax (IR) is possible for a limited period. The president's remuneration triggers social contributions, and dividends have their own tax treatment.
- Keep proper double-entry accounting records.
- Prepare annual financial statements (comptes annuels) and file them.
- File the corporate income tax return (liasse fiscale).
- Declare and pay TVA if registered.
- Run payroll (fiche de paie) for the president's remuneration and file the DSN.
Common mistakes to avoid
The pitfalls we see businesses run into most often on this topic.
- Copying generic statutes online that don't fit your governance or investment plans.
- Underestimating the social charges on the president's remuneration.
- Forgetting to publish the legal announcement, which blocks registration.
- Neglecting to set up proper accounting from day one.
- Assuming a SASU and an EURL are taxed and charged the same — they are not.
Frequently asked questions
How Stratancy can help
Stratancy supports founders creating a SASU end to end — drafting appropriate statutes, handling the capital deposit and legal announcement, filing through the Guichet Unique, and setting up compliant cloud accounting. Our team coordinates TVA registration, payroll for the president and your annual liasse fiscale, and provides clear advice on the trade-offs between a SASU and other structures. For international founders establishing in France, we make the process understandable in plain English.