Declaration 2033: Who Needs to File and How?

Declaration 2033 is a series of forms within the annual French business tax return, the liasse fiscale. It is required for businesses under the régime réel simplifié (RSI), or simplified real tax regime. The declaration provides the tax administration with a detailed summary of a company’s assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses for the fiscal year. This information is used to calculate the taxable profit or loss, which is then integrated into the owner’s personal tax obligations.

Determining Filing Obligation

A business’s obligation to file Declaration 2033 is determined by its tax regime, which is based on annual revenue. The declaration is mandatory for companies under the régime réel simplifié (RSI). This regime applies by default to businesses whose annual tax-exclusive turnover, or chiffre d’affaires hors taxes, falls within specific financial brackets.

The revenue thresholds for the RSI depend on the business activity. For businesses selling goods, merchandise, supplies, or providing lodging and restaurant services, the RSI applies to annual revenues between €188,700 and €840,000. For service providers like consultants or freelancers, the RSI applies to annual revenues between €77,700 and €254,000. These figures are periodically adjusted.

Smaller businesses with revenue below the RSI thresholds, which would typically be in the micro-entreprise regime, can voluntarily opt into the RSI. This choice is often made by businesses with significant operating expenses. The RSI allows for the deduction of actual business expenses, which can result in a lower taxable profit compared to the standard deduction offered by the micro-regime.

Once a business is under the RSI, either by default or by choice, filing Declaration 2033 is an annual obligation. The decision to opt-in is binding for a set period and requires careful financial consideration. This filing obligation continues as long as the business operates under this tax regime.

Required Information for the Declaration

Filing Declaration 2033 requires gathering financial data for its main annexes. The primary components for most businesses are Forms 2033-A, 2033-B, and 2033-C, which together present a complete financial picture.

Form 2033-A (Simplified Balance Sheet)

Form 2033-A is the simplified balance sheet, presenting a financial snapshot of the business at the fiscal year’s end by detailing its assets and liabilities. To complete this form, you must compile information on all business assets, including:

• Immobilisations (fixed assets) like property, vehicles, and equipment
• Stocks (inventory)
• Créances clients (accounts receivable)
• Trésorerie (cash on hand and in bank accounts)

On the liabilities side of the balance sheet, you must list the company’s capitaux propres (equity), which is the owners’ stake in the company. You also need to document any provisions (funds for anticipated expenses) and all dettes (debts), separating financial loans from supplier debts (dettes fournisseurs).

Form 2033-B (Simplified Income Statement)

Form 2033-B is the simplified income statement, used to calculate the company’s net profit or loss for the fiscal year. The first step is to aggregate all operating revenue, or produits d’exploitation, which consists of the total sales of goods or services.

Next, you must gather all operating expenses, or charges d’exploitation, including the cost of goods sold, external charges like rent and utilities, and personnel costs. The difference between operating revenue and expenses yields the operating profit, or résultat d’exploitation. The form then accounts for financial items and exceptional one-time items to determine the final net accounting profit or loss (résultat net comptable).

Form 2033-C (Fixed Assets and Depreciation)

Form 2033-C details the company’s fixed assets (immobilisations) and their corresponding depreciation (amortissements) for the year. For each asset, you must provide its description, acquisition date, and original cost.

The form requires the calculation of depreciation, which allocates an asset’s cost over its useful life. You must report the total prior depreciation, the current year’s depreciation amount, and the asset’s resulting net book value. This table justifies the depreciation expense claimed on the income statement.

The Filing Process

The submission of Declaration 2033 is a fully digital process, as businesses must file their returns online through a procedure called télédéclaration. Paper submissions are not accepted.

Filing is done through the company’s professional tax account, the espace professionnel, on the French tax authority’s website, impots.gouv.fr. One submission method is the EFI (Échange de Formulaires Informatisé) mode, which allows users to fill out the forms directly on the website and is suitable for businesses with simple accounting.

The other method is the EDI (Échange de Données Informatisé) procedure, which is common for businesses using an accountant. This involves using certified accounting software to generate and transmit the tax file directly to the tax authorities. This process ensures the data conforms to technical standards and integrates with the business’s accounting system.

For businesses with a fiscal year ending December 31, the online filing deadline is May 20 of the following year. For companies with a non-calendar fiscal year, the deadline is within three months of their closing date. After submission, the calculated profit or loss must be reported on the business owner’s personal income tax return, Form 2042-C-PRO, where it is combined with other personal income.