SASU or EURL: how to choose your single-member company

The SASU and the EURL have one thing in common: a single shareholder, whose liability is limited to their contribution. They differ on four points which the official fact sheets place side by side: the social status of the manager (treated as an employee in SASU, self-employed in EURL), the default taxation (corporate tax in SASU, income tax in EURL), the share of capital to be paid up upon creation (half in SASU, one fifth in EURL) and the taxes due on the transfer of shares (0.1 % in SASU, 3 % after a deduction of €23,000 in EURL).

This page provides a comparison; it does not designate a specific form. It does not quantify social security contributions (the official information sheet on the social protection of the company director, verified on 08/10/2026, contains internal inconsistencies). It says nothing about unemployment insurance for the president of a SASU (simplified joint-stock company with a single shareholder), which the consulted information sheets do not address.

The official table at a glance

Service-Public (SASU fact sheet, verified on 06/02/2026) compares the two forms as follows:

In both cases, the remaining cash contributions must be paid up within 5 years of registration. The sole shareholder may be a natural person or a legal entity.

Who is in charge, and who is protected?

In SASU, The president is appointed in the articles of association. According to the information sheet, this is either the sole shareholder themselves or a third party. They have employee-like status when they are paid for their corporate office. The company calculates social security contributions each month and pays them to the Urssaf (French social security agency). A shareholder paid exclusively in dividends does not contribute and does not benefit from any social protection: the information sheet states this explicitly.

In EURL, The manager must be a natural person, either the sole shareholder or a third party. A sole shareholder manager is self-employed (TNS). They must pay minimum mandatory contributions. They are not eligible for unemployment insurance. A non-shareholder manager is affiliated with the general social security system as an employee-like worker and, according to the information sheet, does not contribute to unemployment insurance.

The basis for contributions of the sole managing partner depends on the tax regime:

Regarding the 10 % threshold, the information sheet does not specify the basis on which it is measured, nor whether all dividends are taken into account once the threshold is exceeded, or only the portion exceeding it. This point should be verified with the source.

Daily sickness benefits also differ, according to the manager's social protection information sheet:

These ceilings are those shown on the information sheet, which does not specify the year. The two calculation methods differ; the information sheet does not compare them.

Tax on profits and dividends

The SASU (Simplified Joint-Stock Company with a Single Shareholder) is subject to corporate income tax at a rate of 25%. A reduced rate of 15% applies to small and medium-sized enterprises on profits up to €42,500. According to the information sheet, this requires a turnover excluding VAT not exceeding €10,000,000, fully paid-up share capital, and at least 75% of the shares held by individuals. This should be verified in your company's records.

A SASU can opt for income tax if it meets all the conditions of the form, including: fewer than 50 employees, annual turnover or total balance sheet less than €10,000,000, creation less than 5 years ago at the time of the option request.

In principle, a single-member limited liability company (EURL) falls under the tax regime for partnerships: income tax. The sole member can choose between income tax (IR) and corporate tax (IS). Corporate tax is mandatory if the sole member is a legal entity.

Dividends from a SASU (Simplified Joint-Stock Company with a Single Shareholder) are automatically subject to a flat tax rate of 31.4% (%), according to the information sheet. The shareholder can opt for the income tax scale. The EURL (Single-Member Limited Liability Company) information sheet does not cover the dividend tax treatment; this point is not addressed here.

Functionality, flexibility and responsibility

The SASU (Simplified Joint-Stock Company with a Single Shareholder) allows considerable freedom in its articles of association. The guide recommends entrusting their drafting to a specialized lawyer. The decisions of the sole shareholder are recorded in a register, the information from which is kept for six years.

The EURL (single-member limited liability company) is subject to stricter management regulations: it is managed by a natural person. The sole member makes decisions unilaterally, which are recorded in a register. The annual accounts and inventory are filed with the commercial court registry within six months of the fiscal year-end.

In terms of liability, the sole shareholder of a SASU (Simplified Joint-Stock Company with a Single Shareholder) is only liable up to the amount of their contribution. In an EURL (Single-Member Limited Liability Company), the shareholder's liability is also limited to their contribution. However, if they are also the manager, their liability can be invoked in the event of mismanagement, such as a late declaration of insolvency, according to the EURL fact sheet.

When a second partner arrives

If the sole shareholder of a SASU (simplified joint-stock company with a single shareholder) transfers only some of their shares to bring in a new shareholder, the SASU becomes a SAS (simplified joint-stock company). Similarly, if the shareholder of an EURL (single-member limited liability company) transfers their shares to several people, the EURL becomes a standard SARL (limited liability company). The formal change of legal form (transformation) follows specific rules, which are not detailed on this page.

SASU or EURL: numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Camille, a consultant, creates her company on her own. Assumptions of the example, which are not rules: capital of €10,000 entirely in cash; future sale of all shares for €150,000; dividends of €30,000 in the assumption of a single-member limited liability company (EURL) subject to corporate income tax.

Issue. What must it release upon creation, what would it pay in transfer duties, and what share of dividends would exceed the 10 % threshold of capital in EURL subject to IS, according to the reading indicated below?

Strategy. Apply the rules of the sheets: 1/2 of the cash contributions for the SASU, 20 % for the EURL; 0.1 % of the price in SASU, 3 % of the price after deduction of €23,000 in EURL; threshold of 10 % of the capital for dividends of EURL subject to IS.

Result.

For the EURL (single-member limited liability company), 3 % of (150,000 − 23,000) yields €3,810. According to the EURL fact sheet, the €23,000 allowance is proportional to the shares sold: since all shares are sold, it applies in full. The dividend line assumes that only the portion exceeding 10 % of the capital is taken into account: the fact sheet does not specify this. The example does not address social security contributions, income tax, or corporation tax. It does not predict your specific situation.

SASU or EURL: what changes depending on your case

• The level of remuneration you expect : it varies the basis for contributions, depending on the status of the manager.
• The use of dividends : in SASU, they are not subject to social security contributions but do not open any protection; in EURL subject to IS, dividends which exceed 10 % of the capital are taken into account in the base, according to the sheet.
• The planned entry of partners : it transforms the SASU into a SAS or the EURL into a SARL.
• A resale project : the cost of the transfer differs greatly from one form to another.
• Your activity : certain regulated sectors are excluded from both forms.

The rule depends on your situation. No results are guaranteed.