Individual business Business Documents from a

Verified 11 August 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

As an individual contractor, you must prepare several business documents. These documents shall include mandatory information. They have to be kept between 5 and 10 years depending on the nature of the document.

You need to prepare a number of documents related to your business relationships with your customers.

Examples include the following business documents:

The particulars which must appear on commercial documents depend on the nature of your activity:

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Merchant

He is customary Include the following information on your business documents:

  • Your contact details (address, phone number, email address and website)

Certain commercial documents (purchase orders, letters, GCS, etc.) require the presence of mandatory particulars. You must include the following information :

  • Unique identification number (Siren) followed by the reference to SCR: titleContent
  • Name: Your name or usage name must be followed or preceded by the words Individual Contractor or EI
  • Place of registered office
  • If your company is in liquidation this should be indicated
  • If you are a EIRL: titleContent, you must indicate the purpose of the professional activity to which the assets are assigned and your legal name
  • If you are in management leasing, you must specify whether you are a tenant-manager or a manager-agent
  • If you have received a company project support contract for the creation or resumption of economic activity, you must mention the name of the company responsible for the support, the location of its registered office and its unique identification number

Artisan

He is customary Include the following information on your business documents:

Certain commercial documents (purchase orders, letters, GCS, etc.) require the presence of mandatory particulars. You must include the following information :

  • Unique identification number (Siren)
  • Name: your name or usage name must be followed or preceded by the mention Sole trader or IS
  • Entry in the national register of companies
  • Place of registered office
  • If your company is in liquidation
  • If your company is a EIRL: titleContent, you must indicate the purpose of the professional activity to which the assets are assigned and your legal name
  • If you are in management leasing, you must specify whether you are a tenant-manager or a manager-agent
  • If you have received a company project support contract for the creation or resumption of economic activity, you must mention the name of the company responsible for the support, the location of its registered office and its unique identification number

Liberal

He is customary Include the following information on your business documents:

  • Your name
  • Your contact details: address, phone number, email address and website

Certain commercial documents (purchase orders, letters, GCS, etc.) require the presence of mandatory particulars. You must include the following information :

  • Unique identification number (Siren)
  • Name: your name or usage name must be followed or preceded by the mention Sole trader or IS
  • If you are a EIRL: titleContent, you must indicate the purpose of the professional activity to which the assets are assigned and your legal name
  • If you have received a company project support contract for the creation or resumption of economic activity, you must mention the name of the company responsible for the support, the location of its registered office and its unique identification number

FYI  

You can find all the mandatory information to indicate on your invoices on the topic-specific data sheet.

If you do not specify the mandatory particulars on your business documents, you are subject to a fine of up to €750.

How long your business documents will be retained varies depending on the nature of the document:

  • If it is a accounting document (purchase order, invoice, packing slip, etc.), it must be kept 10 years.
  • If it is a contract entered into in the course of a commercial relationship or commercial correspondence, the document must be retained 5 years.