Re:Hack Day Paris: a 40-hour R&D marathon on November 4-6
by tripa on Wednesday September 14, 2011 @05:39PM
(#2997966)
Indeed you get a pretty sweet deal, and I know a few that do.
But the R&D benefits aren't only for startups, most big companies try to fit all they can under CIR ("Crédit d'impôt recherche"—research tax exemption).
"The statute of Jeune Enterprise Innovante (JEI), created in the 2004 budget bill, applies to small to medium businesses (in the EU, that means <250 employees, <50mil turnover, <40mil assets). The businesses must be less than 8 years old with R&D representing at least 15% of their expenses."
The benefits seem ridiculous. The article says they include exemption from revenue tax, payroll tax and an exemption from capital gains tax for associates (investors? not sure if I read that bit right).
Seems like the Wikipedia article might be a bit out of date, though. A French government website had a different list of benefits not including anything about capital gains, but adding an exemption for property tax.
Someone native should probably check my understanding, but it looks like you get a pretty sweet deal if you can convince the French government you're doing R&D.