Appendix B: Glossary of French Business Terms

Legal and Corporate Terms

Auto-entrepreneur: Simplified business structure for freelancers and small businesses (now micro-entreprise)

CDI (Contrat à Durée Indéterminée): Permanent employment contract

CDD (Contrat à Durée Déterminée): Fixed-term employment contract

CSE (Comité Social et Économique): Employee representative committee (mandatory 11+ employees)

Gérant: Manager/director of SARL

KBIS: Official company registration extract

Président: President/CEO of SAS

PV (Procès-Verbal): Meeting minutes (required for major decisions)

SARL: Limited liability company (LLC equivalent)

SAS: Simplified joint-stock company (preferred for startups)

SIREN/SIRET: Company identification numbers

Statuts: Articles of association/company bylaws

Financial and Tax Terms

Bilan: Balance sheet

CA (Chiffre d'Affaires): Revenue/turnover

CET (Contribution Économique Territoriale): Local business tax

CIR (Crédit d'Impôt Recherche): Research tax credit

Compte de résultat: Income statement

Expert-comptable: Certified accountant

IS (Impôt sur les Sociétés): Corporate income tax

JEI (Jeune Entreprise Innovante): Young innovative company status

Liasse fiscale: Annual tax return package

TVA (Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée): VAT

Employment Terms

Arrêt maladie: Sick leave

BSPCE: Stock options for startups

Charges sociales: Social security contributions

Congés payés: Paid vacation

Convention collective: Collective bargaining agreement

Cotisations: Social contributions

Mutuelle: Supplementary health insurance

RTT (Réduction du Temps de Travail): Extra days off

Rupture conventionnelle: Mutual termination agreement

Tickets restaurant: Meal vouchers

Banking and Finance Terms

Attestation de dépôt: Certificate of capital deposit

Découvert: Overdraft

Prélèvement: Direct debit

RIB (Relevé d'Identité Bancaire): Bank account details

Virement: Bank transfer

Administrative Terms

Attestation: Certificate/attestation

Cerfa: Official administrative form

Greffe: Commercial court registry

Guichet unique: One-stop shop

INSEE: National statistics institute

Préfecture: Regional administrative center

URSSAF: Social security collection agency