To claim IR-ESUS:
1. Check that you qualify for IR-ESUS.
You need to invest as an individual, be a French tax resident, and hold the shares until 31 December of the fifth year after the year you subscribed, subject to statutory exceptions. The tax relief depends on each investor's individual situation and is offered in return for a risk of total or partial loss of the capital invested and of illiquidity.
2. Check that the company qualifies for IR-ESUS.
To be eligible for IR-ESUS, with 25% tax relief on funds invested (18% for funds invested between 1 and 21 October 2026), a company must meet several conditions set out in the French Tax Code, including:
- Holding a valid ESUS approval (“Entreprise Solidaire d’Utilité Sociale”) on the date of your investment. The approval is granted by the French authorities for 5 years, or 2 years for companies less than 3 years old at the date of their application.
- Having its place of effective management in the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. UK companies are excluded from the IR-ESUS scope.
- Not operating on any market yet, or having made its first commercial sale less than 10 years ago, as defined for tax purposes. Alternatively, the company may qualify if it requires an initial investment for a new economic activity exceeding 50% of its average annual turnover over the preceding five years.
- Being an SME (fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding 50 M€ or a total balance sheet not exceeding 43 M€), taking account of partner and linked enterprises where applicable.
- Carrying out an industrial, commercial, craft, agricultural or professional (liberal) activity.
- Not carrying out excluded activities such as asset management, financial activities and property construction, subject to the specific exceptions applicable to ESUS companies. These include exceptions for social property management and certain activities involving the preservation of protected historical and cultural heritage.
- Not being a company in difficulty.
- Being subject to tax on profits under ordinary rules, or equivalent rules if its activity were carried out in France, and having at least 2 employees at the end of the financial year following the subscription, or 1 employee where the statutory exception for certain craft businesses applies.
If the company is eligible, you will see an “IR-ESUS” label on the investment opportunity and in the FAQ section of its pitch page.
3. Make the investment.
The investment must be in newly issued ordinary or preferred shares of the company and be subscribed for in cash. The investment must give you only the rights of a shareholder, with nothing else in return (e.g. preferential rates or priority access to goods produced or services rendered by the company). It must not be held in a PEA or PEA-PME.
4. Wait for your État Individuel certificate.
After a company completes its raise on Crowdcube, we work with the company to complete the details needed for your État Individuel, then make it available in your Crowdcube portfolio. This can take around 1 month after your Beneficial Ownership statement is issued.
If one of your investments is eligible for IR-ESUS, we will email you when your État Individuel is available in your Crowdcube portfolio.
5. Use the État Individuel certificate to claim tax relief.
Download your État Individuel from your Crowdcube portfolio once it is available. Declare the qualifying payments in your annual tax return, and keep the État Individuel in case the French tax authorities ask for it. Payments made in year N are declared on the tax return filed in year N+1.
Receiving an État Individuel in your Crowdcube portfolio does not guarantee you will receive tax relief. Crowdcube does not verify the accuracy, validity or reliability of the company's statements about its IR-ESUS eligibility. It is also your responsibility to ensure that you are eligible for tax relief.
This page is for information only and is not legal or tax advice. Do not make any decision based on tax considerations without first taking advice from a lawyer or tax adviser.