One-person Simplified joint stock company (SASU): what you need to know
Verified 06 February 2026 - Entreprendre Service Public / (Prime Minister)
SASU is a social form with a high flexibility. It is a great success with people who wish to go into entrepreneurship on their own.
Single-person simplified share business (SASU) is a commercial business equivalent to the SAS but with only one single associate. This sole partner may be a natural person (an individual) or a legal person (a business, an association).
SASU may exercise any type of activity, with the exception of certain regulated sectors (tobacco retail, insurance, regulated liberal professions).
This social form has a great flexibility insofar as the sole shareholder is free to determine, in the articles of association, the organization and management of the company.
Nevertheless, the great freedom offered to SASU's sole partner makes the drafting of statutes complex. It is recommended to entrust the drafting of these statutes to a specialized lawyer.
Please note
You are considering build an SASU ? We explain how build a business step by step.
The amount of share capital is determined freely by the sole shareholder (€1 minimum). The share capital may consist of contributions in cash (money) and/or nature (of goods: equipment, vehicles, buildings, goodwill, patents...).)
It is also possible to carry out inputs to industry (know-how, specific work) or current account of partner, which are not part of the composition of the capital.
FYI
The sole shareholder is not financially responsible only to the extent of its contribution. Thus, the creditors of SASU cannot sue him over his personal assets.
From the moment of creation, at least half of the cash contribution must be released, i.e. paid into an account available to the business. The other half must be released within 5 years which follow the registration.
The assessment of contributions in kind by a reporting commissioner is mandatory in principle. However, the sole shareholder may decide not to appoint a contribution commissioner where the 2 conditions the following are combined:
- None of the contributions in kind has a value greater than €30,000,
- And the total value of contributions in kind does not represent more than half of the share capital.
The partner is also exempt from the intervention of a contribution commissioner if he exercised his professional activity in his own name before the constitution of the business and if he brings elements that were included in the balance sheet of his last financial year.
Please note
Unlike the public limited company (SA), SASU cannot be listed on the stock exchange.
Governing bodies
All SAS must have a president which represents business to third parties (suppliers, customers, administrations).
The president is appointed in the statutes, it can be the sole partner himself or of a third party. In the event of a change in the chairperson, the statutes must be amended.
Internally, the president is responsible for the daily management business. Thus, it can conclude all the acts necessary for the activity (eg: signing contracts with customers or suppliers, hiring employees, carrying out banking operations...).)
Please note
If he is not President, the sole shareholder may set limits to some of the latter's actions in the articles of association and submit for its approval the most binding acts.
At the end of the financial year, the President shall file the annual accounts at the registry of the commercial court, after their approval by the sole partner.
The president is civilly responsible (in particular in the event of mismanagement) and criminal law.
In addition, it is possible to appoint a director-general and a deputy director-general. Their appointment must be brought to the attention of the registry of the commercial court and published in Bodacc: titleContent. It must also be the subject of an opinion in a Legal Advertising Support (Shal).
Decision-making
In SASU, all the powers usually vested in the assembly of associates in SAS belong to thesingle associate which shall be pronounced in the form of unilateral decisions. There are no rules to be applied in terms of summoning, voting or quorum.
However, each decision must be recorded on a special register held at head office. It is recommended that this register be listed and initialed by the judge of the commercial court, by the judge of the judicial court, or by the mayor or the deputy mayor of the commune of the registered office.
It is possible to keep this register electronically it is identified, numbered and dated at the time of its establishment by means of ensuring its authenticity. However, this must be provided for in the statutes of the business.
The information entered in the register must be kept for 6 years.
In case of poor record keeping (for example, one page is missing), decisions made by the sole partner may be canceled at the request of a person directly concerned by those decisions.
Transition from SASU to SAS
The SASU to SAS is not a transformation of company. It is the same legal form, SASU being an SAS with only one partner.
This change may occur in the following cases :
- Increase in share capital with the entry of one or more new partners
- Transmission of its shares (part or all) by the sole shareholder to more than one person
- Death of the sole shareholder and distribution of his shares among several persons.
The transition from SASU to SAS implies a updating or even recasting the statutes if the original statutes do not provide for the operation of the business with several partners (e.g. decision-making procedures).
Please note
On the other hand, this operation does not entail any tax consequences.
Taxation of profits
SASU is subject to thebusiness tax (IS). As such, it carries out each year a income statement no. 2065, within 3 months of the end of the financial year. However, if the financial year is ended on 31 December or if no financial year is closed in a year, the declaration shall be made at the latest on 2e working day next to 1er May.
The amount of business tax (IS) is calculated on the basis of the income for the last financial year. The tax rate is 25%on all of this tax result.
Please note
One reduced rate from 15% applicable to small and medium-sized companies with a duty-free turnover not exceeding €10 000 000 and whose capital is fully paid up and held for at least 75% by natural persons. This rate applies to the share of profits up to €42,500. Beyond that, the tax rate is 25%.
A business can opt for the income tax (IR) system where it fulfills all of the following conditions:
- It is primarily engaged in a commercial, craft, agricultural or professional activity
- It is not publicly traded
- It employs less than 50 employees
- She realizes a annual turnover or have a total balance less than €10 000 000
- It must have been created since under 5 years old at the time of the option request
- The voting rights must be held at at least 50% by one or more natural persons
- The voting rights must be held at at least 34% by one or more of the following persons: Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, member of the Management Board or manager and the members of their tax household.
This option is valid for 5 accounting years and cannot be renewed. This option entails taxation of the income directly at the level of the shareholders, depending on the shareholding of each of them in the capital of the business.
Taxation of the sole shareholder
The sole shareholder may receive dividends which fall into the category of income from movable capital.
The dividends shall be imposed ex officio on Single flat-rate levy (PFU) from 31.4% of which 12.8% of income tax and 18.6% social levies. The partner may opt for taxation at Income tax scale (0 à 45%).
Imposition of the President
The remuneration that the Chairman receives in respect of his corporate office is imposed on theincome tax (IR) in the category of salaries and wages.
An abatement of 10% or a deduction from the amount of the officer's actual expenses (accommodation, meals, travel, etc.) is applied before taxation.
The SASU President has the status ofemployee-equivalent when he is paid for his corporate mandate. Thus, he is affiliated to the general social security system and enjoys the same social protection as senior employees.
During the creation phase, the president of SASU can collect his ARE allocations and continue to benefit from Acre if he/she does not receive any remuneration from the company he/she heads (under his/her corporate mandate).
In SASU, the dividends are not considered as remuneration, but as income from movable capital. Thus, dividends are not not subject to social security contributions and do not alter the amount of his allowances.
Warning
A partner paid exclusively in dividends does not contribute and therefore benefits no social protection.
Conversely, in EURL, the amount of dividends received by the manager is subject to social security contributions and taken into account in the calculation of his ARE allowances.
The sole partner may pass on its actions to his heirs or to a third party without difficulty. Being the only partner on board, he does not need to obtain the approval of other partners to pass on his titles.
Disposals of shares are subject to taxation (registration fees) of 0.1% at the expense of the purchaser.
Please note
When the single partner does not transmit that part of its shares to bring in a new partner, SASU moves to SAS.
SASU and EURL are the two social organizations with only one partner. However, there are differences between them.
SASU | ||
|---|---|---|
Number of associates | 1 | 1 |
Leader | President + other possible leaders (ex: CEO) | Manager (natural person required) |
Share capital | Free | Free |
Release of cash contributions | At least 1/2 from inception | At least 1/5 from inception |
Taxation of profits | (IS). Possible option for IR | Income tax (IR). Possible option for IS |
Executive's social plan | Assimilated employee | Self-employed person (TNS) |
Social Titles | Actions | Shares |
Registration fees | 0.1% of the sale price | 3% of the sale price after a reduction of €23,000 |
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SASU scheme (legislative part)
SASU scheme (regulatory part)