Acre application — the start-up exemption, and its 60 days

The French start-up and business-takeover aid (Acre) is a TEMPORARY EXEMPTION from social security contributions at the start of an activity. Three things to know before anything else. First, it is NOT AUTOMATIC: it must be applied for. Second, the application must be filed WITHIN 60 DAYS of the activity start date shown on the business creation certificate — after that, it is lost. Third, it is not open to everyone: you must fall within one of the exhaustively listed situations (jobseeker, minimum income or specific solidarity allowance, aged 18-25, under 30 and not receiving unemployment benefit, taking over a distressed business, business start-up support contract, priority urban district, rural revitalisation zone, shared child-rearing benefit). For a MICRO-ENTREPRENEUR, the beneficiary gets a reduced rate equal to 75 % of the normal rate — so the exemption is 25 % — until the end of the 3rd calendar quarter following the declared activity start date. For OTHER founders or buyers, the exemption is partial and lasts 12 months, covering health, maternity, basic pension, invalidity-death and family allowance contributions. Urssaf decides within 30 days, and WHERE THERE IS NO REPLY the Acre is deemed GRANTED.

Up to date for 2026 — verified on September 12, 2026Official procedure, no printed formGuide: about 20 min

This content is part of the path: Registering my business and starting up· Step 10 of 10· Last step of the path

Deadlines

60 days — the deadline that loses everything: "Les demandes d'Acre doivent être déposées dans les 60 jours qui suivent la date d'ouverture de l'activité mentionnée par le justificatif de création d'activité." The source flags this as a point of caution.
30 days — Urssaf's reply, and the silence that means consent: Urssaf decides on the contribution exemption application within 30 days. WHERE THERE IS NO REPLY, the Acre is deemed granted.
Micro-entrepreneur: until the end of the 3rd calendar quarter following the start of activity: The exemption applies until the end of the 3rd calendar quarter following the declared activity start (or registration) date. That date marks the start of the exemption.
Other founders or buyers: 12 months: The beneficiary gets a partial exemption from their personal social security contributions for 12 months, covering health, maternity, basic pension, invalidity-death and family allowance contributions.
The source's calendar advice: It is advisable to start a micro-business at the BEGINNING OF A CALENDAR QUARTER — January, April, July or October — and to apply for the Acre immediately after completing registration formalities on the business formalities portal.

Documents to prepare

The business creation certificate, downloaded from the business formalities portal — it carries the date from which the 60 days run
The Acre application form
Jobseeker receiving benefit: notification of entitlement or latest payment slip
Jobseeker without benefit: registration history with France Travail
Minimum income or solidarity allowance: certificate of recipient status
Under 26: identity document showing date of birth
26 to under 30: sworn statement of non-receipt of unemployment benefit, or employment contract and evidence of its termination
Disabled person: recognition certificate issued by the departmental disability rights commission
Taking over a distressed business: copy of the judgment opening liquidation proceedings, or a statement from the liquidator, court-appointed administrator or supervisory judge
Business start-up support contract: a copy of the contract
Priority urban district or rural revitalisation zone: proof of the address of the establishment where the activity is carried on
Shared child-rearing benefit: notification of entitlement in respect of the latest payment
Access to the Urssaf messaging service, which is the transmission channel

See the procedure on the official site

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

Anyone receiving the return-to-work allowance (ARE) or the occupational security allowance (ASP) paid to employees following a redundancy on economic grounds
Jobseekers not receiving benefit and registered on the jobseekers' list for more than 6 of the last 18 months
Anyone receiving the minimum income benefit (RSA) or the specific solidarity allowance (ASS) paid when unemployment rights are exhausted
Anyone aged between 18 and 25 — or 29 where a disability is recognised
Anyone under 30 not receiving the ARE because they do not meet the length-of-activity conditions
An employee or a person made redundant by a business in safeguard, receivership or judicial liquidation proceedings who takes that business over
Anyone unemployed who has signed a business start-up support contract (Cape)
Anyone creating or taking over a business in a priority urban district, or located in a municipality in a rural revitalisation zone (ZFRR or ZFRR+)
Anyone receiving the shared child-rearing benefit (PreParE)
Micro-entrepreneurs as well as self-employed people who are not micro-entrepreneurs, and people controlling companies (single-member and standard limited companies, simplified joint-stock companies, etc.) — the scheme covers both, on different terms
CANNOT benefit: anyone who has already received the Acre in the PRECEDING 3 YEARS in respect of another business creation or takeover

Worked example

Official example: two start dates, the same cut-off, and two months lost

The example is the source's own, and it shows why the calendar matters as much as eligibility. A micro-entrepreneur launches an e-commerce business. As a trader, their social security contributions come to 12.3 % of turnover. They start trading on 3 September 2026. With the Acre, their contributions are reduced by 25 %, until 30 June 2027 — that is, the end of the 3rd calendar quarter following their start of activity. The benefit therefore expires after ONLY 10 MONTHS. Had they started at the beginning of July, they would have had the Acre until the SAME cut-off, 30 June 2027, but for 12 MONTHS. Two months of exemption are gained or lost on the choice of start date alone, with strictly identical eligibility — hence the source's advice to start at the beginning of a calendar quarter. A second official example shows the effect on the rate: an electrician is subject to the contribution rate for commercial and craft services (BIC), which is 15.9 % with the Acre, instead of the 21.2 % applying to that sector for a founder without it. In both cases, nothing is acquired without the application: you must complete the formalities on the business formalities portal, download the business creation certificate, complete the application form and send it immediately to Urssaf through its messaging service, within 60 days of the activity start date.

How to fill it in, step by step

First check your ELIGIBILITY: you must fall within one of the listed situations (ARE or ASP, jobseeker without benefit registered for more than 6 of the last 18 months, RSA or ASS, aged 18-25 or 29 where disability is recognised, under 30 without benefit, taking over a business in safeguard, receivership or liquidation, business start-up support contract, priority urban district, ZFRR or ZFRR+, shared child-rearing benefit).
Check that you have NOT received the Acre in the preceding 3 years in respect of another creation or takeover.
If you can, choose a start date at the BEGINNING OF A CALENDAR QUARTER — January, April, July or October: with identical eligibility, that can be worth two extra months of exemption.
Complete the creation formalities on the business formalities portal.
Download the BUSINESS CREATION CERTIFICATE from the business formalities portal: it is required to apply for the Acre, and it carries the activity start date from which the 60-day deadline runs.
Complete the Acre application form.
Gather the document evidencing your situation: notification of entitlement or latest payment slip (jobseeker receiving benefit); registration history with France Travail (jobseeker without benefit); certificate of recipient status (RSA or ASS); identity document showing date of birth (under 26); sworn statement of non-receipt of unemployment benefit or employment contract with evidence of its termination (26 to under 30); disability recognition certificate issued by the departmental commission for the rights and autonomy of disabled persons; copy of the judgment opening liquidation proceedings or, failing that, a statement from the liquidator, court-appointed administrator or supervisory judge; copy of the business start-up support contract; proof of the establishment's address in a priority urban district, ZFRR or ZFRR+; notification of entitlement in respect of the latest payment (shared child-rearing benefit).
Send the form to Urssaf IMMEDIATELY through the Urssaf messaging service, together with the business creation certificate and your supporting documents.
Strictly observe the 60-DAY deadline following the activity start date shown on the business creation certificate.
Allow 30 days for Urssaf's decision — and note that where there is no reply, the Acre is deemed GRANTED.
If needed, use the step-by-step guide Urssaf makes available for the Acre application.

The form, line by line

Business creation certificate: Downloadable from the business formalities portal. It is required to apply for the Acre, and it is the ACTIVITY START DATE it shows that starts the 60-day clock.
Reduced rate of 75 % (micro-entrepreneur): The founder or buyer gets a contribution rate equal to 75 % of the normal rate: the exemption is therefore 25 %. The normal rate varies with the nature of the activity.
End of the 3rd following calendar quarter: The exemption's end point for a micro-entrepreneur, counted from the declared activity start (or registration) date. The start date therefore determines the actual DURATION of the benefit, between 10 and 12 months.
12 months (other founders or buyers): For self-employed people who are not micro-entrepreneurs and people controlling companies, the exemption is partial and lasts 12 months. It covers health, maternity, basic pension, invalidity-death and family allowance contributions.
Urssaf messaging service: That is the channel for sending the form and its documents. The recipient is Urssaf, which is also the issuer of the administrative form.
30 days of silence: Urssaf decides within 30 days; where there is no reply, the Acre is deemed granted. Silence therefore works in the applicant's favour — provided the application was indeed filed within the 60 days.
The 3-year condition: You must be at the start of an activity AND not have received the Acre in the preceding 3 years in respect of another business creation or takeover.

Good to know

The Acre is NOT automatic: that is the sentence the source puts at the head of the procedure, and it is what most often causes it to be missed.
The 60-day deadline runs from the ACTIVITY START DATE shown on the business creation certificate — not from the date of the registration application nor from receipt of any letter.
Urssaf's silence for 30 days means CONSENT: no reply is not a refusal.
For a micro-entrepreneur the exemption is 25 %, the rate applied being 75 % of the normal rate — and the normal rate depends on the nature of the activity.
The start date changes the DURATION of the benefit without changing its end point: starting at the beginning of a calendar quarter (January, April, July, October) gives up to 12 months, starting mid-quarter can cut it to 10.
The regime differs by status: 25 % exemption until the end of the 3rd following calendar quarter for micro-entrepreneurs, a partial 12-month exemption for other founders or buyers, including company directors.
The "other founders" exemption does not cover all contributions: it covers health, maternity, BASIC pension, invalidity-death and family allowances.
For those same "other founders", ANNUAL INCOME decides the amount, and it can cut it to ZERO — this is the condition people discover last. Professional income at or below 75 % of the annual social security ceiling, i.e. €36,045: the exemption is 25 % of contributions. Between €36,045 and €48,060: it TAPERS. From €48,060, that is as soon as income reaches the annual social security ceiling: it DOES NOT APPLY. The income counted is the one declared as actual income. This rule does NOT concern micro-entrepreneurs, whose reduced rate does not depend on income.
The Acre must not be confused with the ARCE — a financial aid paid by France Travail consisting of 60 % of unemployment benefit as a lump sum — nor with regional business start-up support, which has replaced the Nacre scheme since 2017 and varies by region.
Urssaf makes a step-by-step guide available for the Acre application.
The 3-year condition is assessed in respect of ANOTHER business creation or takeover: a second project too close in time closes the right.

Common mistakes

Believing the Acre is granted automatically on creation: obtaining it is not automatic, it must be applied for.
Filing the application after the 60 days following the activity start date: the deadline is strict.
Counting the 60 days from a date other than the one shown on the BUSINESS CREATION CERTIFICATE.
Reading Urssaf's silence as a refusal: after 30 days without a reply, the Acre is deemed granted.
Expecting a full exemption: for a micro-entrepreneur it is 25 %, the rate applied being 75 % of the normal rate.
Starting the activity at the end of a calendar quarter without thinking: with identical rights, that can cost two months of exemption.
Confusing the Acre with the ARCE, a France Travail financial aid equal to 60 % of unemployment benefit paid as a lump sum.
Confusing the Acre with regional business start-up support (formerly Nacre).
Applying for the Acre having received it in the preceding 3 years in respect of another creation or takeover.
Sending the form without the business creation certificate, or without the document evidencing the qualifying situation.
Waiting for a letter from Urssaf before acting: it is for the founder to send the form through the Urssaf messaging service.
Assuming, as a company director, that the micro-entrepreneur rules apply: the regime for other founders or buyers is separate, with 12 months and a specific list of contributions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Acre?

The start-up and business-takeover aid is a temporary exemption from social security contributions at the start of an activity. It covers micro-entrepreneurs as well as other founders or buyers, on different terms.

Who can benefit?

You must fall within one of the listed situations: receiving the ARE or ASP, being a jobseeker without benefit registered for more than 6 of the last 18 months, receiving the RSA or ASS, being aged 18 to 25 (29 where disability is recognised), being under 30 without the ARE for want of sufficient length of activity, being an employee or made redundant by a business in safeguard, receivership or liquidation and taking it over, being unemployed with a business start-up support contract, creating or taking over a business in a priority urban district or a rural revitalisation zone, or receiving the shared child-rearing benefit. You must also be at the start of an activity and not have received the Acre in the preceding 3 years.

How much is the exemption?

For a micro-entrepreneur, the contribution rate is 75 % of the normal rate: the exemption is therefore 25 %. Official example: an electrician under commercial and craft services (BIC) is charged 15.9 % instead of 21.2 %. For other founders or buyers, the exemption is partial and covers health, maternity, basic pension, invalidity-death and family allowance contributions.

How long does it last?

For a micro-entrepreneur, until the end of the 3rd calendar quarter following the declared activity start (or registration) date. For other founders or buyers, 12 months.

What is the deadline for applying?

60 days from the activity start date shown on the business creation certificate. The source expressly flags this as a point of caution.

How is the application made?

Complete the creation formalities on the business formalities portal; download the business creation certificate; complete the Acre application form and send it immediately to Urssaf through the Urssaf messaging service, together with the business creation certificate and the documents evidencing the qualifying situation.

What happens if Urssaf does not reply?

Urssaf decides on the application within 30 days. Where there is no reply, the Acre is deemed granted.

Does the start date matter?

Yes, and it is underestimated. The exemption runs until the end of the 3rd calendar quarter following the start of activity: a micro-entrepreneur starting on 3 September 2026 benefits until 30 June 2027, i.e. 10 months; had they started at the beginning of July, they would have benefited until the same cut-off, but for 12 months. Hence the advice to start at the beginning of a calendar quarter — January, April, July or October — and to apply immediately after registration.

Is the Acre the same as the ARCE?

No. The ARCE is a financial aid paid by France Travail, consisting of 60 % of unemployment benefit received as a lump sum. The Acre is an exemption from social security contributions. It should also not be confused with regional business start-up support, which has replaced the Nacre scheme since 2017.

Go further

Compute the related amounts

ACRE: start-up contribution relief

Understand this form: the related course

Start-up relief, the unemployment lump sum and the flat tax levy

Related forms

Official sources

Read in French

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.