France in Focus

I met with a lady today for some weekly cleaning jobs, 2 hours a week.

She wants to be paid €18 an hour with the CESU scheme.

I've opened an URSSAF account with both our details but, from what I've been reading I have to pay her 10% holiday pay, sickness pay and if I want to stop using her I have to go through procedures.

It all seems so complicated to have a cleaner for a couple of hours a week.

I know that there is a 50% credit impot but I think you get that deducted with a tax return.

I used a cleaning agency in the past and still got the credit impot which was deducted immediately.

Can anyone explain the pros and cons of CESU please? I don't want to get into something I can't get out of. Thanks

I use a CESU cleaner but I don't pay her €18/hour!
The system is this: every month, you pay your employee and declare her hours and rate on the URSSAF/CESU site. Some days/weeks later, URSSAF debits social charges (holiday pay, sickness, etc.) from your account at the rate of a little under 50%. Declaration is very important for both parties - benefits for your cleaner, crédit d'impôt for you. The latter ar rives in 2 stages, an advance in January and the rest in August/September.

Seamless once you get used to it. Yes, rupture was the elephant in the room before we signed up, but our cleaner had worked for our daughter for 10 years by then, so we had a good reference. I think OH still bit his nails for a long time though

Agree with Mad87.
We pay 13€/hr.
When we changed femme de ménage a while back the paperwork was grim and calculating how much lump sum to pay her as it was our choice the change.

We were thinking of getting someone in this year. I thought all we had to do was to declare what we had paid on our tax return and have the justification ( details and invoices)if they asked for it. I didn't know you had to register as an employer with anybody.

curtis wrote: ↑Wed Jan 28, 2026 11:37 am We pay 13€/hr.

You should check the CESU site - AFAIK, the minimum salary is just under €13.50/hour, which is what we pay. I also give her a Christmas and holiday bonus in cash, as does my daughter.

I don't give my wife Christmas or holiday money! Come to think of it, I don't give her holidays.

Loup-garou wrote: ↑Fri Jan 30, 2026 3:58 pm I don't give my wife Christmas or holiday money! Come to think of it, I don't give her holidays.

Shame upon you, LG (unless you cook all her meals )