Declaring beneficial owners — threshold, deadlines and striking-off
On registration, a company must state the individual or individuals who own or control it: these are the BENEFICIAL OWNERS, and their details are held centrally in the beneficial ownership register (RBE). A beneficial owner is the individual, shareholder or member, who holds DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY more than 25 % of the voting rights or of the capital, or who exercises control by any other means. If neither condition is met, the beneficial owner is THE LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE of the company — so there is always at least one beneficial owner to declare, and that is the point single-shareholder companies most often miss. The declaration is made on the business formalities portal at registration (€19.33), and any change — a house move, a married name, a new owner — requires an amending entry WITHIN 30 DAYS (€35.36). The penalties have been tightened and are out of all proportion to how simple the step is: the registrar may give the company formal notice to put matters right within 3 months and then STRIKE IT OFF the trade and companies register, while the legal representative faces a €200,000 fine and a ban on managing a company for up to 15 years.
Up to date for 2026 — verified on September 12, 2026Official procedure, no printed formGuide: about 30 min
This content is part of the path: Registering my business and starting up· Step 8 of 10· Next step: Kbis extract: getting one, and what it costs
Deadlines
- At registration
- The identity of the beneficial owners must be stated AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION, in the "beneficial owners" section of the business formalities portal.
- 30 days for any change
- An amending entry must be filed as soon as a change occurs among the beneficial owners — a change of address after a house move, a change of used name following marriage, the arrival of a new owner — and that request must be made WITHIN 30 DAYS of the change.
- 3 months to comply after formal notice
- Where the information has not been declared or is inaccurate or incomplete, the registrar of the commercial court may give the company formal notice to put matters right within 3 months. Failing that, the registrar may strike the company off the trade and companies register. The president of the commercial court has the same power after an injunction that has gone unheeded for 3 months.
- 15 days after a reinstatement request
- A company struck off may ask for its registration to be reinstated if it shows it has put matters right. The registrar then has 15 days to reinstate the entry or to notify a reasoned refusal; on refusal or absence of a reply, the company may apply to the president of the court within 15 days.
Documents to prepare
- The breakdown of capital AND voting rights, including direct and indirect holdings
- The identity of the legal representative, to be declared if nobody exceeds 25 %
- For the company: name or corporate name, legal form, address of the registered office and, where applicable, the unique identification number
- For each beneficial owner: surname, used name, pseudonym, forenames
- Date and place of birth, nationality
- Home address
- Nature and arrangements of the control exercised, and its extent
- The percentage of capital and/or voting rights, where control is by holding
- The date on which each became a beneficial owner
- €19.33 for the declaration at registration, €35.36 for an amending entry
No form is attached to this procedure: the link leads to the official page that describes it.
What this page gives you
The guide above and the link to the official site. ActioFin does not produce any document for this page: whatever you fill in or file is done on the official medium.
Who this applies to
- Commercial companies (limited liability, public limited, simplified joint-stock, etc.) and civil-law companies (property companies, professional practice companies, etc.) with their registered office in France
- Economic interest groupings with their registered office in France
- Commercial companies whose registered office is abroad but which have an establishment in France
- Other entities required to register with the trade and companies register and the national business register: collective investment undertakings, endowment funds, etc.
- The individual, shareholder or member, holding directly or indirectly more than 25 % of the voting rights OR of the capital of the company
- The individual exercising control by any other means — for example someone able to appoint or remove the majority of the members of the management bodies
- THE LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE (manager, president, etc.) where none of the above conditions is met: a company with no holder above 25 % is not exempt, it declares its legal representative
- The individuals legally representing a legal person, where that legal person is the company's legal representative
- The company's agent — the director, for example — who files the amending entry online
Worked example
Example: a two-shareholder company, a house move, and 30 days
A simplified joint-stock company is owned 60 % by Léa and 40 % by Malik, both individuals. Léa exceeds the 25 % capital threshold: she is a beneficial owner. So is Malik, since his 40 % also exceeds 25 % — the test is not "the largest shareholder", it is MORE THAN 25 %, so several people can be beneficial owners at once. On registration, the company declares them on the business formalities portal, in the "beneficial owners" section, by clicking "add a beneficial owner". For each, it states the TYPE of control exercised; as this is "holding more than 25 % of the capital", it also states the percentage of capital and, where relevant, of voting rights held. It also enters, for each owner: surname, used name, pseudonym, forenames; date and place of birth; nationality; home address; the nature, arrangements and extent of the control exercised; and the date on which they became a beneficial owner. The step costs €19.33. Two years later, Malik moves house. That is a change concerning a beneficial owner: the company has 30 DAYS from the move to file an amending entry online, at a cost of €35.36. If it forgets, its information becomes inaccurate: the registrar may give it formal notice to put matters right within 3 months, then STRIKE IT OFF the trade and companies register — a striking-off automatically passed to the national business register, of which the public prosecutor is informed, so the company may then be prosecuted. The company's president faces a €200,000 fine, a ban on managing for up to 15 years and partial loss of civil and civic rights. A frequent and often missed case: had the company had a single shareholder holding 100 %, it would still have declared — and had nobody crossed 25 %, it would have declared its PRESIDENT as beneficial owner.
How to fill it in, step by step
- Identify your beneficial owners: any individual, shareholder or member, holding directly or indirectly MORE THAN 25 % of the voting rights or of the capital of the company.
- Add those exercising control by any other means — for example the ability to appoint or remove the majority of the members of the management bodies.
- If NONE of those conditions is met, declare the company's legal representative (manager, president, etc.): there is no company without a beneficial owner to declare.
- If the legal representative is a legal person, declare the individual or individuals legally representing that company.
- If needed, use the diagram Infogreffe provides to help identify beneficial owners.
- At registration, go to the "beneficial owners" section of the business formalities portal and click "add a beneficial owner".
- State the TYPE of control exercised for each; where it is "holding more than 25 % of the capital" or "holding 25 % of the voting rights", also state the percentage of capital and/or voting rights held.
- Enter, for the company: name or corporate name, legal form, address of the registered office and, where applicable, the unique identification number.
- Enter, for each beneficial owner: surname, used name, pseudonym, forenames; date and place of birth; nationality; home address; nature and arrangements of the control exercised over the company and its extent; the date on which they became a beneficial owner.
- Pay the cost of the step: €19.33 at registration.
- Then watch for ANY change — a house move, a change of used name after marriage, the arrival of a new owner — and file an amending entry WITHIN 30 DAYS, online on the business formalities portal, at a cost of €35.36.
- If you receive formal notice from the registrar, put matters right within the 3-month period: beyond it, striking-off from the trade and companies register may be ordered.
The form, line by line
- The more-than-25 % threshold
- More than 25 % of the VOTING RIGHTS or of the CAPITAL — either suffices — held DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY. Several people can therefore be beneficial owners at the same time.
- Control by any other means
- The second limb of the definition, independent of any percentage: exercising control over the company by any other means, for example being able to appoint or remove the majority of the members of the management bodies.
- The legal representative by default
- If neither condition is met, the beneficial owner IS the legal representative (manager, president, etc.). Where that legal representative is a legal person, the individuals legally representing it are declared.
- Type of control and percentage
- The type of control must be stated for each owner. For "holding more than 25 % of the capital" or "holding 25 % of the voting rights", the percentage of capital and/or voting rights held must also be given.
- Information on each owner
- Surname, used name, pseudonym, forenames; date and place of birth; nationality; home address; nature and arrangements of the control exercised and its extent; the date on which the person became a beneficial owner.
- €19.33 and €35.36
- Cost of the step at registration (€19.33) and cost of an amending entry (€35.36). Amending is therefore dearer than the initial declaration.
- The 30-day deadline
- The amending entry must be filed within 30 days of the change — not at the next general meeting, nor at the year-end.
Good to know
- No company is exempt: if nobody crosses the 25 % threshold and nobody exercises control by another means, it is the LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE who is declared as beneficial owner.
- The threshold is "MORE than 25 %", and it applies to voting rights OR capital, directly OR indirectly: four ways in.
- The declaration is not a one-off: it must be kept up to date, and a shareholder simply moving house triggers the 30-day amendment duty.
- Infogreffe provides a diagram to help identify beneficial owners — useful where the ownership chain runs through legal persons.
- Consultation of the register is NO LONGER open to the general public: you must either show a legitimate interest in combating money laundering or terrorist financing, or be among the staff authorised for full access.
- Those showing a legitimate interest obtain only limited information: surname, used name, pseudonym, forenames, MONTH and YEAR of birth, State of residence and nationality, plus the nature and extent of the interests held — neither the day of birth nor the home address.
- Full access, including home addresses and how control is exercised, is reserved to a list set by law: accountants and lawyers under anti-money-laundering duties, judicial authorities, customs, public finances, police and gendarmerie in judicial investigations, the French anti-corruption agency, the Treasury, the high authority for transparency in public life, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the Court of Auditors, the European Anti-Fraud Office, the labour inspectorate and social security bodies, Europol and Eurojust, and the European anti-money-laundering authority.
- A person declared as a beneficial owner of a company may access the full register information concerning that company.
- Requesting access to the register is FREE, from the French intellectual property office via the single portal or from the competent registry.
- One dated change worth knowing: since 28 May 2026, the 6-month prison sentence is no longer incurred — the €200,000 fine and the ban on managing for up to 15 years remain.
Common mistakes
- Believing a company with no shareholder above 25 % has nothing to declare: it then declares its legal representative.
- Declaring only the largest shareholder: EVERYONE above 25 % is a beneficial owner.
- Looking only at capital and forgetting VOTING RIGHTS, or looking only at direct holdings and forgetting indirect ones.
- Ignoring the second limb of the definition — control exercised by any other means, such as the power to appoint or remove the majority of the management bodies.
- Treating the declaration as a one-off made at registration, when it must be kept up to date.
- Letting the 30 days pass after a change: a house move or a change of used name after marriage is enough to start that clock.
- Omitting, for control by holding, the percentage of capital and/or voting rights in addition to the type of control.
- Forgetting the date on which the person became a beneficial owner, which is among the required information.
- Disregarding formal notice from the registrar: the period to put matters right is 3 months, and striking-off from the register follows.
- Believing striking-off has no effect beyond the trade register: it is automatically passed to the national business register, and the public prosecutor is informed, so the company may be prosecuted.
- Underestimating the personal penalty: a €200,000 fine, a ban on managing for up to 15 years and partial loss of civil and civic rights for the legal representative or the person responsible for the formalities.
- Paying to consult the register: requesting access is free.
Frequently asked questions
What is a beneficial owner?
The individual, shareholder or member, who holds directly or indirectly more than 25 % of the voting rights or of the capital of the company, or who exercises control over it by any other means — for example by being able to appoint or remove the majority of the members of the management bodies. If neither condition is met, the beneficial owner is the company's legal representative.
Which companies must declare?
Commercial companies (limited liability, public limited, simplified joint-stock…) and civil-law companies (property companies, professional practice companies…) with their registered office in France, economic interest groupings with their office in France, commercial companies whose office is abroad but which have an establishment in France, and other entities required to register with the trade and companies register and the national business register (collective investment undertakings, endowment funds, etc.).
When and how is the declaration made?
At registration, in the "beneficial owners" section of the business formalities portal, by clicking "add a beneficial owner". The step costs €19.33. Thereafter, any change requires an amending entry online, within 30 days of the change, at a cost of €35.36.
What information must be supplied?
For the company: name or corporate name, legal form, address of the registered office and, where applicable, the unique identification number. For each beneficial owner: surname, used name, pseudonym, forenames; date and place of birth; nationality; home address; nature and arrangements of the control exercised over the company and its extent; the date on which they became a beneficial owner.
Who may consult the register?
No longer the general public. You must either show a legitimate interest in combating money laundering or terrorist financing — assessed by reference to the applicant and their link with the entity concerned — or be among the staff authorised for full access. The former obtain only limited information (surname, used name, pseudonym, forenames, month and year of birth, State of residence, nationality, nature and extent of the interests held). A person declared as a beneficial owner of a company may, for their part, access the full information concerning that company.
Is consultation chargeable?
No: requesting access to the register's information is free. The request is made either to the French intellectual property office, via the single portal, or to the competent registry of the commercial court or economic activities court.
What are the penalties for failing to declare or for a false declaration?
Administrative and criminal penalties. Administratively, the registrar may give the company formal notice to put matters right within 3 months, then strike it off the trade and companies register; the striking-off is passed to the national business register and the public prosecutor is informed, so the company may be prosecuted. The president of the commercial court has the same power after an injunction unheeded for 3 months. Criminally, the legal representative or the person responsible for the formalities faces a €200,000 fine, a ban on managing for up to 15 years and partial loss of civil and civic rights. Since 28 May 2026, the 6-month prison sentence is no longer incurred.
Can a company be reinstated after being struck off?
Yes: a company struck off may ask for its registration to be reinstated if it shows it has put matters right. The registrar has 15 days to reinstate the entry or notify a reasoned refusal. On refusal or absence of a reply, the company may apply to the president of the court within 15 days.
Go further
Understand this form: the related course
Official sources
- entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr — "Déclaration des bénéficiaires effectifs de la société", fact sheet F36703 (verified 3 June 2026, Entreprendre Service Public / Direction de l'information légale et administrative), read line by line on 2026-09-12: definition of the beneficial owner (individual shareholder or member holding directly or indirectly more than 25 % of the voting rights or capital, or exercising control by any other means, such as appointing or removing the majority of the members of the management bodies), fallback rule on the legal representative and, where that representative is a legal person, on the individuals legally representing it; helper diagram provided by Infogreffe; list of entities concerned (commercial and civil-law companies with their office in France, economic interest groupings, foreign companies with an establishment in France, other entities required to register with the trade and companies register and the national business register); declaration at registration in the "beneficial owners" section of the business formalities portal, statement of the type of control and, for a holding, of the percentage of capital and/or voting rights, at a cost of €19.33; information required on the company and on each beneficial owner; duty to file an amending entry on any change, within 30 days, by the agent online, at a cost of €35.36; restriction of access to the register (legitimate interest in combating money laundering or terrorist financing, or authorisation), statutory list of those showing a legitimate interest and the limited scope of the information they may see, list of authorities with full access, full access for a person declared as beneficial owner to their own company's information, and free access requests to the intellectual property office or the registry; administrative penalties (formal notice from the registrar with a 3-month period to comply, striking-off from the trade and companies register, transmission to the national business register, notification of the public prosecutor, the same power for the president of the court after an injunction, reinstatement procedure within 15 days and appeal within 15 days) and criminal penalties (€200,000 fine, ban on managing for up to 15 years, partial loss of civil and civic rights, and removal of the 6-month prison sentence since 28 May 2026); references: French monetary and financial code, articles L561-45-1 and L561-46-2 — September 12, 2026
- entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr — "Déclaration relative aux bénéficiaires effectifs d'une société (M'BE Société)", procedure R64126 (verified 6 February 2024, Entreprendre Service Public / DILA; issuer of the administrative form: ministry responsible for the economy), read on 2026-09-12: this form is NOT the ordinary route for declaring — the page confines it to the case where "vous devez réaliser une formalité relative à une société civile agricole et vous êtes confronté à un dysfonctionnement grave du guichet unique des formalités des entreprises", as a "solution de continuité du service" pending a return to normal operation; the "M'BE société" insert then accompanies forms M2 or M3 and is filed, with supporting documents and payment of fees, with the registry of the commercial court or of the judicial court sitting in commercial matters — or the commercial chamber of the judicial court for the Alsace-Moselle region — for the district of the registered office; the page states that this formality is not available on infogreffe.fr — September 12, 2026
Guide and document provided for information purposes only; they do not constitute personalised legal or tax advice. Check the recipient organisation's requirements and consult a professional if needed.