The âcontrolled declarationâ regime concerns all freelancers who donât have micro-entrepreneur status. Here, the accounting obligations are slightly more complex. But still, theyâre manageable. Letâs look at what this group of freelance workers needs to do with their books.
1. Keeping up-to-date Revenue Ledger and Purchase Log
Just like their micro-entrepreneur counterparts, freelancers under the controlled declaration regime must keep an updated Revenue Ledger. However, in this case the Purchase Log is not optional, but rather a legal obligation.
The mandatory information to be included in these documents is identical to that mentioned above for micro-entrepreneurs.2. Keeping an up-to-date Fixed Assets and Depreciation Register (registre des immobilisations et des amortissements)
Under the controlled declaration regime, freelancers must also create and maintain a register of all fixed assets and their depreciation, known in France as le registre des immobilisations et des amortissements.
A fixed asset (une immobilisation) refers to something of value such as a car or property that the business owner possesses and uses for work. In the case of freelancers, it might also be machinery or a computer.
Depreciation (amortissement) means the loss in value of this asset as it becomes used over time.
Letâs use an example to illustrate.
Imagine youâre a freelance photographer and that youâve just bought a brand new camera to use for work. In accounting-speak, this is an asset: something youâll use again and again to do your job. You paid âŹ1,000 for the camera on the day you purchased it. Two years later, youâre still happy with your camera but even if youâve taken the greatest of care of it, itâs no longer new and will have lost a little value. If you sold it online, for example, you may only get âŹ500 for it. This loss in value is known as the assetâs depreciation.