I. – A company, hereinafter referred to as the “parent company”, may be solely liable for the corporation tax due on all the profits of the group formed by itself and the companies in which it holds at least 95% of the capital on a continuous basis during the financial year, directly or indirectly through companies or permanent establishments that are members of the group, hereinafter referred to as the “group companies”, or companies or permanent establishments, hereinafter referred to as the “intermediate companies”, that are at least 95% owned by the parent company on a continuous basis during the financial year: “group companies”, or companies or permanent establishments, hereinafter referred to as: “intermediate companies”, at least 95% of which is held by the parent company continuously during the financial year, directly or indirectly through group companies or intermediate companies.
A company, also referred to as a “parent company”, at least 95% of whose capital is held continuously during the financial year by a company or permanent establishment subject to a tax equivalent to corporation tax in a Member State of the European Union or in another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area that has concluded an administrative assistance agreement with France to combat tax fraud and evasion, hereinafter referred to as: “non-resident parent entity”, directly or indirectly through companies or permanent establishments at least 95% owned by the non-resident parent entity and subject to a tax equivalent to corporation tax in the same States, hereinafter referred to as : “foreign companies”, may also be solely liable for the corporation tax due on all the results of the group formed by itself and the companies held by the non-resident parent entity under the conditions provided for in the first paragraph of this I, directly or indirectly through the parent company, foreign companies, intermediate companies or group member companies.
At least 95% of the capital of the parent company referred to in the same first paragraph must not be held, directly or indirectly, by another legal entity subject to corporation tax under the conditions of ordinary law or in accordance with the provisions of Article 214. At least 95% of the capital of the non-resident parent entity must not be held, directly or indirectly, by another legal entity subject to corporation tax under the conditions of ordinary law or in accordance with the procedures provided for in the same article 214 or by another legal entity subject to a tax equivalent to corporation tax in a State mentioned in the second paragraph of this I. The capital of the parent company referred to in the same second paragraph must not be held indirectly by the non-resident parent entity through companies or permanent establishments which may themselves be solely liable for corporation tax under the conditions described in the said second paragraph. However, 95% or more of the capital of the parent company referred to in the first paragraph of this I may be held indirectly by another legal entity that is subject to corporation tax under the conditions of ordinary law or in accordance with the terms of article 214, through one or more legal entities that are not subject to this tax under the same conditions or through one or more legal entities that are subject to this tax under the same conditions and of which at least 95% of the capital is not held, directly or indirectly, by this other legal entity. 95% or more of the capital of the non-resident parent entity may be held indirectly by another legal entity subject to a tax equivalent to corporation tax in a State mentioned in the second paragraph of this I or by another legal entity subject to corporation tax under the conditions of ordinary law or in accordance with the terms of article 214, through one or more legal entities that are neither subject to this tax under these same conditions, nor to an equivalent tax in a State mentioned in the second paragraph of this I, or through one or more legal entities that are subject to it under these same conditions and whose capital is not at least 95% owned, directly or indirectly, by this other legal entity.
By way of exception to the first paragraph, where a legal entity subject to corporation tax under the conditions of ordinary law draws up combined accounts pursuant to Article L. 345-2 du code des assurances, de l’article L. 212-7 du code de la mutualité ou de l’article L. 931-34 of the Social Security Code as the combining company, it may be solely liable for the corporation tax due on all the results of the group formed by itself, the legal entities subject to corporation tax under the conditions of ordinary law without capital which are members of the scope of combination and which have with it, by virtue of an agreement, either common management, common services of sufficient scope to give rise to common commercial, technical or financial behaviour, or significant and lasting links by virtue of regulatory, statutory or contractual provisions, and the companies in which it and the combined legal entities hold at least 95% of the capital, directly or indirectly through companies or permanent establishments which are members of the group, hereinafter referred to as : “group companies”, or companies or permanent establishments, hereinafter referred to as “intermediate companies”, of which the parent company and the same combined legal entities hold at least 95% of the capital, directly or indirectly through group companies or intermediate companies. The conditions relating to the links between the legal entities mentioned in the previous sentence and to the ownership of group member companies by these legal entities are assessed continuously over the course of the financial year. The other provisions of the first and third paragraphs of this I apply to the parent company of the group formed under the conditions provided for in this paragraph.
As an exception to the first paragraph, when a legal entity subject to corporation tax under the conditions of ordinary law is a central body mentioned in Article L. 511-30 of the Monetary and Financial Code or a departmental or interdepartmental fund referred to in Article L. 512-55 of the same code holding a collective authorisation issued by the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution for itself and for the local mutuals that own it, it may be solely liable for the corporation tax due on all the results of the group formed by itself, the banks, mutuals and companies mentioned in articles L. 512-11, L. 512-20, L. 512-55, L. 512-60, L. 512-69 and L. 512-86 of the same code subject to corporation tax under the conditions of ordinary law which are affiliated to it within the meaning of l’article L. 511-31 of the same code or benefiting from the same collective authorisation issued by the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution, and the companies in which it and the aforementioned banks, caisses and companies hold at least 95% of the capital, directly or indirectly through companies or permanent establishments that are members of the group, hereinafter referred to as : “Group companies”, or companies or permanent establishments, hereinafter referred to as “intermediary companies”, of which the parent company and these same banks, savings banks and companies hold at least 95% of the capital, directly or indirectly through Group companies or intermediary companies. The conditions relating to the links between the legal entities mentioned in the first sentence and to the ownership of group member companies by these legal entities are assessed continuously over the course of the financial year. The other provisions of the first and third paragraphs of this I apply to the parent company of the group formed under the conditions provided for in this paragraph.
For the calculation of the percentage of capital held, up to 10% of the company’s capital is disregarded in the case of securities issued under the conditions provided for in Articles L. 225-177 to L. 225-184, L. 225-197-1 to L. 225-197-5, L. 22-10-56 and L. 22-10-59 of the French Commercial Code and in articles L. 3332-18 to L. 3332-24 of the French Labour Code or equivalent foreign legislation, as well as shares allocated, after buyback, under the same conditions, by a company to its non-executive employees. This special calculation method no longer applies from the financial year in which the holder of the shares issued or allocated under the above conditions disposes of his shares or ceases to hold any position in the company. However, if the sale of the securities or the cessation of any function has the effect of reducing the holding in the capital of a subsidiary company to less than 95% over the course of a financial year, that capital is nevertheless deemed to have been held in accordance with the terms set out in the first, second, fourth or fifth paragraphs of this I if the 95% percentage is again reached on expiry of the period provided for in the second paragraph of 1 of article 223 for the filing of the income tax return for the financial year. If the termination of office occurs during the retention period provided for in the seventh paragraph of I of Article L. 225-197-1 of the French Commercial Code or by equivalent foreign regulations, the shares required to be held under the foregoing conditions shall continue to be disregarded until the expiry of the aforementioned period. For the purposes of this article, ownership of at least 95% of the capital of a company means full ownership of at least 95% of the dividend rights and at least 95% of the voting rights attached to the securities issued by that company. However, securities that the settlor has transferred to a fiduciary estate under the conditions set out in article 238 quater B are also taken into account when assessing the capital ownership threshold provided that these securities carry dividend and voting rights and that the settlor retains the exercise of the voting rights or that the fiduciary exercises these rights in the manner determined by the settlor, subject to any limitations agreed by the parties to the contract establishing the trust to protect the financial interests of the creditor or creditors benefiting from the trust.
II. – Group companies remain subject to the obligation to declare their results, which may be audited under the conditions set out in Articles L. 13, L. 47 and L. 57 of the Book of Tax Procedures. The parent company shall bear, with regard to the duties and penalties referred to in Article 2 of Law no. 87-502 of 8 July 1987 amending tax and customs procedures, the consequences of offences committed by group companies.
III. – Only companies or permanent establishments that have given their consent and whose profits are subject to corporation tax under the conditions of ordinary law or in accordance with the procedures set out in Article 214 may be members of the group. Only companies or permanent establishments that have given their consent and whose profits are subject to a tax equivalent to corporation tax in a Member State of the European Union or in another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area that has signed an administrative assistance agreement with France to combat tax evasion and avoidance may qualify as intermediate companies. To become a parent company under the conditions set out in the second paragraph of I, a company must obtain the agreement of the non-resident parent entity and the foreign companies mentioned in the same second paragraph. To be a member of a group formed under the conditions of the said second paragraph, a company must accompany its agreement with that of the non-resident parent entity and the foreign companies. Companies that are members of a group under the conditions of the same second paragraph may not simultaneously be the sole taxpayers liable for corporation tax on the results of another group under the conditions provided for in this article. When the parent company opts to apply the regime defined in the fourth or fifth paragraph of I, all legal entities without capital defined in the fourth paragraph of I and all banks, savings banks and companies mentioned in articles L. 512-11, L. 512-20, L. 512-55, L. 512-60, L. 512-69 and L. 512-86 of the Monetary and Financial Code or benefiting from the same collective authorisation, with the exception of subsidiaries of which at least 95% of the capital is held, must be members of the group and may not simultaneously be the parent company of another group formed under the conditions provided for in this article.
The companies in the group and, subject to the foreign regulations applicable to them, the intermediate companies, the non-resident parent entity and the foreign companies must open and close their financial years on the same dates; the financial years have, in principle, a duration of twelve months. By way of exception, the duration of a financial year of group companies may be less than or greater than twelve months, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 37. This exception can only be applied once during a period covered by the same option. Notification of the change in the financial year-end date must be made no later than the expiry of the deadline stipulated in the second paragraph of section 1 of article 223 for filing the income tax return for the financial year preceding the first financial year concerned. The options referred to in the first, second, fourth or fifth paragraphs of I of this article are notified at the latest on expiry of the deadline stipulated in the second paragraph of 1 of article 223 for filing the income tax return for the financial year preceding that in respect of which the scheme defined in this article applies. They are valid for a period of five financial years. The agreements referred to in the first paragraph of this III are made no later than the expiry of the deadline for filing the income tax return for the financial year preceding that in which the company becomes a member of the group or becomes an intermediate company, a foreign company or a non-resident parent entity, or within three months of the acquisition of the securities of a group company, another intermediate company, a foreign company or a non-resident parent entity. The options and agreements are renewed by tacit agreement, unless terminated no later than the expiry of the deadline stipulated in Article 223(1) for filing the income tax return for the last financial year of each period.
For each of the financial years ended during the period of validity of the option, the parent company notifies the tax authorities, no later than the date mentioned in the second paragraph of this III, of a list of the companies that are members of the group including the designation, where applicable, of the non-resident parent entity, intermediate companies and foreign companies, as well as companies that cease to be members of the group or cease to be qualified as intermediate companies or foreign companies. Failing this, the overall result is determined on the basis of the result of the companies mentioned on the last list regularly notified if these companies continue to meet the conditions provided for in this section.
Each company in the group is jointly and severally liable for the payment of corporation tax and, where applicable, the corresponding late payment interest, increases and tax fines, for which the parent company is liable, up to the amount of the tax and penalties that would be due by the company if it were not a member of the group.
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