Do I have to have a company to make money from my app ?

General (non-technical) Marketing and Monetization
#1

Hello,

I would like to publish an app that include both Ads and IAP.
I have not yet register for the google dev account as I’m considering some aspects with regard to French law/fiscality.

How do you do on your side? I mean How do handle ads revenu or IAP revenu wrt to fiscality/law? do you all have a professional status to publish apps ?

Is someone in position to tel me if I can sell on google play as a non professional in France?
If the answer comes with some supporting material, even better :slight_smile:

Thanks in advance.

#2

These aren’t really the kind of questions you should be asking in a developer forum. The answers to these questions differ greatly from one country to another. You should really consult your local officials or experts in your local (and EU) laws.

Most likely the answer is yes, you need to have a company if you are planning on selling products and earning money via ads. Then there are additional things to consider if and when you are selling to other EU countries, to outside the EU and to specific countries.

When you are conducting business, you generally always need a company (with some exceptions of course).

1 Like
#3

Thanks Xedur for the answer.

In fact it’s quite weird as I’m willing to publish an app, but I don’t really know if it will meet any success or not.
I’m doing it on my own time, and not as a professional… but maybe it can meet its public somehow :slight_smile:
The idea there was more “to give a try” to have a little income complement each month rather than launching a real company business… If it works then I would consider things with a new eye.

What is weird to me is that even from start it semms to be complicated now I’m considering this aspect… Shame it’s not easier than that and let people start “as they are”.
Not sure I’ve totally clear, but hope so :slight_smile:

#4

company costs money and a lot of paperwork.
As a start, you can launch the app as an individual/Sole-Proprietorship.
Most countries can do that but you have to check with France’s laws.

#5

Hi Nob_Studio
That’s what I intend to do and eventually turn into something else if successful :slight_smile:

I’ve been looking into French law and there is nothing really clear, at least for a non lawyer guy… I will try to get advised then, but nothing blocking for now. I won’t go for something complicated yet :slight_smile:

#6

Check if there is some allowance for making money from a hobby. In Sweden, when I started with apps you could make up to 3000 EUR per year from hobbies and simply add it to you income tax declaration at the end of the fiscal year. Once it became clear that I’d make more than that I incorporated.

#7

Good to know :slight_smile:
Just for information, do have more incomes from ads or from IAP (one time or subscription distinction if posible :slight_smile: ) ?

#8

As long as I know, you need to set up your “vendor account” to allow incomes in your Google Play’s developer account (where you are asked to inform your company’s name for billing). Actually i don’t know if there’s a way to “bypass” that step, but it seems to me that there isn’t. Would be happy to know otherwise!

#9

I didn’t tried yet to create my account, as my app not totally ready.

But if it is only a “company name” you can put whatever you want then… existing or not…
I will croos check, somehow, what is the situation in France for that. My guess was you can do it as your “own” for start… but might be outlaw LOL