How to close your micro-enterprise
Leaving France, taking a job or simply stopping? A micro-enterprise does not close by itself: you must declare that you stop, on the guichet unique, the official one-stop shop for business formalities. It is free. This guide explains the steps and what you still have to declare after closing.
Written by MicroChrono · Updated on 19 October 2026
In short
- Closing is declared online on the guichet unique, free of charge, within 30 days after you stop.
- The date you stop working decides your last declarations and taxes.
- After closing, you still declare your last turnover to URSSAF and on your income tax return.
- Simply stopping your declarations does not close your business.
Before you close
- Send your last invoices and try to be paid before your closing date: the money you receive until then is part of your turnover.
- Choose your closing date (« date de cessation »): the day you stop working.
- If you are registered on 1 January, the CFE local tax is due for that year. If you stop during the year, you can ask the tax office to reduce it for the remaining months.
Step 1: declare the closing
Within 30 days after you stop working, declare the closing (« cessation d'activité ») on the guichet unique, formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr. You need an identity document: identity card or passport, or for foreign nationals, a residence permit that allows self-employment. The guichet unique informs URSSAF, INSEE and the tax office for you.
MicroChrono can do it for you: our closing form is in French, and we help you in English on WhatsApp.
Step 2: your last URSSAF declaration
Declare the turnover you received up to your closing date, even if it is 0, in your online space on autoentrepreneur.urssaf.fr. If you declare monthly, do it within 30 days after your closing date; if you declare quarterly, during the month after the end of the quarter in which you closed. You pay your last contributions at the same time.
Keep access to your online space until URSSAF confirms that everything is settled. If you charged VAT, you must also file a last VAT return (form 3517-S-SD) within 60 days after closing.
Step 3: income tax
The following spring, report the turnover from 1 January to your closing date on your income tax return (form 2042-C-PRO), as every year. If you paid the versement libératoire, report it in the boxes for it: the tax is already paid.
Mistakes to avoid
- Stopping your declarations without closing: you keep owing declarations and risk penalties.
- Forgetting the last declaration after the closing date.
- Forgetting the CFE when you were still registered on 1 January.
- Closing when you only want a pause: a micro-enterprise can stay open with zero turnover, but after 24 months (8 quarters) without any declared turnover, it can be closed automatically if you do not tell URSSAF that you want to continue.
Questions? We answer in English
Write to us on WhatsApp or by e-mail: we reply in English, Arabic or French.
Want us to close it for you?
Our closing form is in French: give your SIRET or your name, add your identity document and sign the mandate. We check everything and file the closing for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start a new micro-enterprise later?
Yes. As an individual entrepreneur, your SIREN is given once and for all, so you normally get the same one back. You can get ACRE again only if you meet its conditions and did not receive it in the previous three years.
I am leaving France. Can I close from abroad?
Yes. The closing is done online, so you can do it from anywhere. Keep access to your e-mails and to your URSSAF online space for your last declarations.
How long does closing take?
Once the declaration is filed, the administration processes it, usually within a few days to a few weeks. You can check the status of your business on annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr.
Official sources
This guide gives general information, not legal advice. Rules can change: check the official sources below or ask the administration.