# How do you set up an e-commerce company in France?

Updated : 2026-10-22 · Source : https://legalrapide.fr/en/activites/e-commerce/

To sell online, most founders choose a SASU or an EURL. Beyond setting up the company, e-commerce brings obligations of its own: VAT on distance sales within the EU, marketplace checks, and extended producer responsibility (REP) for packaging and products placed on the French market, with its unique identifier (IDU).

## Setting up
| Step | E-commerce point |
|---|---|
| Form | SASU or EURL for a solo seller; see [SASU or EURL](/en/guides/sasu-ou-eurl/) |
| Activity | Distance selling of products (APE code 47.91) |
| Registered office | Your stock can be elsewhere: a home address or a domiciliation provider is often enough |
| Cost | €223.56 incl. VAT in legal fees for a SASU (current rates) |

## After setting up: what is specific to e-commerce
- **VAT**: above €10,000 of distance sales to consumers in other EU countries, the VAT of the buyer's country applies, declared through the OSS one-stop shop.
- **Marketplaces** (Amazon, Cdiscount, Fnac…): they check your SIREN, VAT number and REP unique identifier before activating a seller.
- **REP**: in France, a business that places packaged products on the market (and, depending on the products, textiles, electronics, furniture, toys…) must join an eco-organisation and obtain an **IDU**. Our [EPR France Rep](https://eprfrancerep.com/) service handles this for French and foreign sellers.
- **Triman**: mandatory sorting label on household packaging.

## With LegalRapide
Your company is set up, then, if you wish, your IDU and REP membership are handled through EPR France Rep, without re-entering your details.

## Sources
- [Service-public: the VAT one-stop shop (OSS)](https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/R42398)
- [Service-public: choosing a legal form](https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F23844)