Accounting: A Pillar of Your Food Truck Business
Many food truckers start out of passion for cooking but neglect accounting. Yet poor financial management is the #1 cause of failure in mobile food businesses. Understanding your obligations and optimizing your taxes can save thousands of euros per year.
Choosing Your Legal Structure
Your legal structure directly impacts your taxation:
Micro-enterprise (auto-entrepreneur)
- ✅ Maximum simplicity: no balance sheet, quarterly revenue declaration
- ✅ Social charges: 12.3% of revenue (buy-resell) or 21.2% (services)
- ❌ Revenue cap: €188,700 (buy-resell)
- ❌ No deduction of actual expenses
- 👉 Ideal for testing before scaling
- ✅ Deduct all expenses (vehicle, equipment, ingredients)
- ✅ Choice between income tax and corporate tax
- ❌ Full accounting required
- ❌ Accounting cost: €1,500 to €3,000/year
- 👉 Ideal if revenue > €80,000/year
- ✅ Employee-equivalent status (better social protection)
- ✅ Flexible compensation (salary + dividends)
- ❌ Higher social charges
- 👉 Ideal if targeting growth (multiple trucks)
Accounting Obligations
As a micro-enterprise:
- Chronological revenue ledger
- Purchase register (if buy-resell)
- Quarterly or monthly revenue declaration
- Invoicing with mandatory mentions
- Annual balance sheet and income statement
- General journal and general ledger
- VAT declaration (monthly or quarterly)
- Tax return package
- Annual general meeting
VAT for Food Trucks
- Takeaway food: 10% VAT (prepared food for immediate consumption)
- Non-alcoholic beverages: 5.5% VAT
- Alcoholic beverages: 20% VAT
- VAT exemption: exempt if revenue < €91,900 (micro-entrepreneur)
Deductible Expenses You Shouldn't Forget
As a company, deduct everything related to your activity:
- Raw materials and ingredients
- Fuel and vehicle maintenance
- Location rental and pitch fees
- Packaging and supplies
- Insurance (professional liability, vehicle, goods)
- Kitchen equipment (depreciation)
- Software subscriptions (FoodTracks, POS, accounting)
- Training costs (HACCP, management)
- Phone and internet
- Work clothing
Common Accounting Mistakes
- Mixing personal and business — open a dedicated bank account from day 1
- Forgetting to keep receipts — keep EVERYTHING for 10 years
- Not setting aside for taxes — put 30% of revenue aside for charges
- Underestimating VAT — it's not income, it's owed
- Late declarations — penalties of 10% to 40% depending on delay
How FoodTracks Simplifies Your Accounting
FoodTracks is your accounting ally:
- Scan supplier invoices — no more manual data entry
- Automatic revenue via SumUp — sales/payment reconciliation in one click
- Margin tracking per product — data ready for your accountant
- Data export — format compatible with accounting software
- Complete history — all your figures accessible for tax audits
Frequently Asked Questions
- What legal structure should I choose for a food truck?
- Micro-enterprise to start (simple, €188,700 cap), EURL/SARL above €80,000/year revenue to deduct expenses, or SASU if you're targeting multiple vehicles.
- What VAT rate applies to food trucks?
- 10% for prepared takeaway food, 5.5% for non-alcoholic beverages, 20% for alcoholic beverages. Exemption possible as micro-entrepreneur under €91,900 revenue.
