How can an assignment to an independent avoid being reclassified as employment?

A registered independent is presumed not to be an employee, but the presumption falls if the client puts them in a permanent legal relationship of subordination (article L. 8221-6 of the French Labour Code): imposed hours, orders on how to work, monitoring, sanctions, being part of a team like an employee. Working for a single client does not prove that relationship on its own, but counts among the signs. The written contract is not enough: what counts is how the assignment really runs. The client's risk is paying wages, contributions and compensation, or prosecution for undeclared work.

Which documents should a client ask an independent for before an assignment?

For an assignment worth at least €5,000 before VAT, the client must obtain at signing, then every six months until the end, a vigilance certificate issued by the URSSAF less than six months old, and check it online, as well as proof of registration (articles L. 8222-1 and D. 8222-5 of the French Labour Code). Without them, the client can be held jointly liable for contributions and taxes the independent failed to pay.

Must a micro-entrepreneur charge VAT under this contract?

Not while they benefit from the VAT franchise: the agreed price is then the full price, and their invoices carry the mention “TVA non applicable, article 293 B du code général des impôts”. If they exceed the franchise thresholds or give it up, VAT is added to the price before tax, as the contract provides. The thresholds and the mention are those in force when the invoice is issued.

Freelance service agreement with an independent worker (France)

Name: Freelance service agreement with an independent worker (France)
Brand: DocMuse
SKU: contrat-de-prestation-de-services-travailleur-independant
Price: 1.38 EUR
Availability: InStock
Author: DocMuse

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This document is in French

The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.

For giving an assignment to a registered independent in France (micro-entrepreneur, sole trader or one-person company) without the relationship looking like salaried employment: assignment and deliverables, freedom over organisation, hours, place and other clients, no relationship of subordination, price and invoicing, payment term and late-payment penalties, registration documents and the URSSAF vigilance certificate, right to use the deliverables, termination. Signed in two originals. In French.

Made for use in France
Last updated October 13, 2026

When to use this document

Your company is giving an assignment to a freelancer or micro-entrepreneur in France.
You work regularly with an independent and want to avoid the relationship looking like employment.
Before work starts with a freelancer, you want to set out the deliverables, the price and the payment terms.
You need a service agreement with a self-employed worker who stays free to choose their hours and place of work.

What you fill in

The details the document asks for.

Client
Client's address
Client's SIREN (business client)
Client's representative
Provider
Provider's address
Provider's SIREN or SIRET
Provider's representative (or “in person”)
Services
Start date
Term of the contract (for example “six months” or “open-ended”)
Fee
Invoicing rhythm (for example monthly, on delivery)
Payment term (days)
Late-payment penalty rate (failing an agreed rate, the ECB rate plus 10 points)
Notice to terminate (for example one month)
Additional terms
City
Date

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Common questions

How can an assignment to an independent avoid being reclassified as employment?: A registered independent is presumed not to be an employee, but the presumption falls if the client puts them in a permanent legal relationship of subordination (article L. 8221-6 of the French Labour Code): imposed hours, orders on how to work, monitoring, sanctions, being part of a team like an employee. Working for a single client does not prove that relationship on its own, but counts among the signs. The written contract is not enough: what counts is how the assignment really runs. The client's risk is paying wages, contributions and compensation, or prosecution for undeclared work.
Which documents should a client ask an independent for before an assignment?: For an assignment worth at least €5,000 before VAT, the client must obtain at signing, then every six months until the end, a vigilance certificate issued by the URSSAF less than six months old, and check it online, as well as proof of registration (articles L. 8222-1 and D. 8222-5 of the French Labour Code). Without them, the client can be held jointly liable for contributions and taxes the independent failed to pay.
Must a micro-entrepreneur charge VAT under this contract?: Not while they benefit from the VAT franchise: the agreed price is then the full price, and their invoices carry the mention “TVA non applicable, article 293 B du code général des impôts”. If they exceed the franchise thresholds or give it up, VAT is added to the price before tax, as the contract provides. The thresholds and the mention are those in force when the invoice is issued.

How you can sign this document

Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked

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