When you work alongside property owners in Cayenne, Remire-Montjoly or Kourou, one question keeps coming up: should you set up a corporate-tax SCI to invest in French Guiana? The corporate-tax SCI in French Guiana is a remarkably effective tool for building a long-term rental portfolio, especially with furnished rentals. But it hides very real tax pitfalls at resale that many investors discover too late. Here is our view from the field, backed by local figures.
Why the corporate-tax SCI appeals to investors in French Guiana
The French Guiana rental market has one defining trait: demand structurally exceeds supply. With around 290,000 inhabitants, one of the strongest population growth rates in France, and a steady flow of professionals on assignment (Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, hospitals, education authority, construction), quality housing rents quickly and well.
A few benchmarks observed on the ground in 2025-2026:
- Purchase price: expect 2,400 to 3,200 €/m² for existing properties in Cayenne and Remire-Montjoly, 2,000 to 2,600 €/m² in Kourou and Matoury, often under 1,800 €/m² in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.
- Furnished rents: a well-located furnished one-bedroom flat in Cayenne goes for 750 to 950 € per month; with well-managed short stays, the same property can generate 1,300 to 1,800 € monthly during the dry season (mid-July to mid-November).
- Gross yields: 6 to 9% is realistic for long-term rentals, more with optimised seasonal rentals.
In this context, the corporate-tax SCI brings three decisive advantages:
Depreciation of the property, the anti-tax weapon
Under corporate tax, the company depreciates the building (excluding land) over 25 to 40 years for accounting purposes, plus the furniture over 5 to 10 years. In concrete terms, on a flat bought for 220,000 € in Remire-Montjoly, you book 5,000 to 7,000 € of depreciation as an expense each year. The result: taxable income close to zero for 10 to 15 years, while cash flow stays comfortably positive.
The 15% reduced rate
Up to 42,500 € of annual profit, corporate tax is 15% (25% beyond that). Compare this with a heavily taxed investor holding in their own name: a marginal bracket of 30 or 41% plus 17.2% social contributions. For a French Guiana portfolio generating 15,000 to 30,000 € of net rent per year, the gap runs into thousands of euros.
Furnished rentals without reclassification
This is the key point in French Guiana, where furnished rentals dominate the market for professional relocations and tourism. An income-tax SCI that lets furnished property on a regular basis automatically switches to corporate tax, often painfully. An SCI that opts for corporate tax from the start can rent furnished, long or short term, with no regime issues at all. For a property intended for seasonal rental in French Guiana, it is the natural structure.
Corporate-tax SCI, income-tax SCI or LMNP: which structure for a furnished property in French Guiana?
Choosing an SCI investment structure in French Guiana is not a reflex, it is a choice of time horizon. Here is the framework we share with owners:
- LMNP in your own name: ideal for 1 or 2 properties, alone or as a couple. Similar depreciation, exit under the individual capital-gains regime (allowances based on holding period). But succession and bringing in partners are complicated.
- Income-tax SCI: perfect for unfurnished family lettings and succession, ill-suited to furnished rentals (risk of a forced switch to corporate tax).
- Corporate-tax SCI: relevant as soon as you target 3 properties or more, invest with others (siblings, partners), want to reinvest rents without annual tax friction, or manage a French Guiana portfolio from mainland France over 15-20 years.
Overseas SCI taxation adds one more argument: a corporate-tax SCI can host operations eligible for the Girardin corporate-tax scheme or the overseas investment tax credit on new housing, under strict conditions — to be validated with an accountant who genuinely knows the French overseas territories.
The pitfalls of the corporate-tax SCI in French Guiana: what no one tells you
Pitfall no. 1: capital gains at resale
This is THE dark spot. Under corporate tax, the capital gain is calculated on the net book value: the depreciation deducted is “recaptured” and taxed under corporate tax, then the dividends distributed are subject to the 30% flat tax. No allowance for holding period, unlike holding in your own name, where full exemption arrives after 22 years (tax) and 30 years (social contributions). On a property bought for 200,000 € in Cayenne, depreciated by 80,000 € and resold for 280,000 €, the taxable gain is 160,000 €, not 80,000 €. The corporate-tax SCI is a capitalisation vehicle, not an opportunistic resale tool.
Pitfall no. 2: underestimated structure costs
- Setup (articles of association, legal notice, registry, support): 1,500 to 2,500 €.
- Mandatory annual accounting with tax filing: 1,200 to 2,000 € per year in French Guiana, where accountants are fewer than in mainland France.
- Business bank account: local banks (most have branches in Cayenne and Kourou) charge 20 to 40 € per month.
On a single one-bedroom flat at 800 € of rent, these fixed costs eat up 15 to 20% of income. The structure becomes profitable from a certain volume onward, rarely before.
Pitfall no. 3: managing from 7,000 km away with no local relay
Many partners in French Guiana SCIs live in mainland France, with a 5 to 6 hour time difference depending on the season. Water damage during the rainy season (sometimes 400 mm per month), a guest without the access codes, a cleaning not done between two assignments: without someone on the ground, the theoretical profitability evaporates. That is the role of a local concierge service — more on that below.
Pitfall no. 4: poorly anticipated short stays
Short-term rentals in French Guiana follow the rhythm of Ariane 6 and Vega launches in Kourou, administrative assignments and the dry tourist season. Outside these windows, a poorly positioned property stays empty. Before buying through your SCI, study demand town by town: our complete guide to French Guiana details the rental markets from Cayenne to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.
Setting up your corporate-tax SCI for French Guiana: the concrete steps
- Validate the economic project: simulate corporate tax vs LMNP over 15 years with an accountant, resale included.
- Draft articles of association with an explicit corporate-tax option (waiver possible within the first 5 financial years, irrevocable thereafter).
- Register with the registry of the Cayenne mixed commercial court: 2 to 4 weeks.
- Finance: a 10 to 20% down payment and personal guarantees from the partners are the norm; rates close to mainland France, sometimes +0.2 to 0.4 points.
- Buy and furnish: 8,000 to 15,000 € of furniture for a one- or two-bedroom flat in short-stay use (air conditioning essential, fibre, quality bedding).
- Organise the operation: furnished lease, mobility lease for assignments, or seasonal rental declared at the town hall.
Delegating the operation: the link that secures the structure
A corporate-tax SCI is only profitable if the property keeps turning over. That is where Hostel Toucan comes in: we handle the marketing and operation of your property for short and medium stays, with direct booking and no platform fees (where OTAs take 15 to 17%), free cancellation up to 7 days that reassures travellers and professionals on assignment, and WhatsApp assistance 7 days a week that absorbs the unexpected on your behalf. Invoiced in your SCI’s name, monthly reporting your accountant can use, occupancy optimised between the dry season and space missions: everything is built for a corporate-tax vehicle. Discover our offer on the owners page.
FAQ
Can a corporate-tax SCI do seasonal rentals in French Guiana?
Yes: the corporate-tax option allows furnished rentals, short or long term. You do, however, have to declare the tourist accommodation at the town hall (Cayenne, Remire-Montjoly, Kourou…) and collect the tourist tax.
What corporate tax rate applies to an SCI in French Guiana?
The same as in mainland France: 15% up to 42,500 € of profit (under conditions), then 25%. The overseas specifics come into play through overseas investment schemes, not the rate itself.
Corporate-tax SCI or LMNP for a first purchase in Cayenne?
For a single first property, LMNP in your own name is simpler and more flexible at resale. The corporate-tax SCI takes the lead from around 3 properties, with several partners, or to keep and reinvest rents over 15-20 years.
Can you manage a French Guiana SCI from mainland France?
Legally yes, and the registered office can even be in mainland France. In practice, the time difference (-5 h in winter, -6 h in summer) requires a reliable local relay: a concierge service for operations, an accountant well versed in overseas taxation, and responsive tradespeople for maintenance.
