Foreign workers in France may struggle to close self-employment accounts
Discover solutions for closing an Urssaf social security account if you lack French ID
Self-employed foreign workers have difficulties closing a business without a five-year French identity document
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A former self-employed worker says she cannot close her account with Urssaf – the body that collects work social security cotisations – because she does not have a French identity document.
Susan Warburton, from Gard, has spent two years attempting to complete this task, which is required to close a business and ensure there are no more payment demands, but to no avail.
She said it is impossible for people who cannot access the online identity service La Poste Identité Numérique due to having a residency card of less than five years’ duration.
Such an account allows users to sign into the relevant website via a system called FranceConnect+. This is said to incorporate an ‘advanced electronic signature’ feature that is not in the standard version of FranceConnect, which involves using log-ins from partner sites such as impots.gouv.fr or ameli.fr.
'I'm missing a day'
The La Poste service excludes many foreigners as it requires a French ID card or passport, or a residency card issued for five years or more.
La Poste confirmed to us its rule is “a validity period more than, or equal to, five years”.
Ms Warburton said: “I was refused and my residency card was rejected because it is for four years and 364 days – I’m missing a day.”
She said a friend in the same situation was told by a large post office that there was nothing it could do.
Her card’s expiry date is one calendar day before the issue date, which appears to be common practice by prefectures.
Read also: Explainer: which self-employment visa to live and work in France?
Paying a third-party service
We checked this out with Urssaf, which said national statistics body Inpi requires the use of the La Poste system. The formality for closing the account is via procedures.inpi.fr.
The website says the standard FranceConnect is insufficient to finalise certain procedures, for which “you must use an external third-party service”.
Inpi said solutions include using a private identity service that can provide the required ‘advanced signature’, or mandating another person, such as a legal or financial professional, to carry out the formality.
Urssaf told us that suitable services include those listed on this dedicated government webpage.
Ms Warburton said: “Basically, you need to pay someone, which is discriminating to non-French auto-entrepreneurs”.
Have you had the same problem? Did you find a free solution? Share any tips via news@connexionfrance.com.
Read also: Can France’s prime d’activité benefit boost income of self-employed?
