Virtual Assistant: Tasks, Rates, Legal Status and Tools to Get Started

These four numbers frame the job. The first three affect your calculations and how much you keep from each euro you bill. The last one shows that remote work is now part of everyday working life. Your future clients already know how to work with someone they never see at the office.

What is a virtual assistant and what do they do day to day?

A virtual assistant (VA) works remotely on tasks a client lacks the time, interest or skills to handle. A VA is not part of the client's company. Like any freelancer, they sell services and send invoices.

Most virtual assistant tasks fall into seven groups:

• Admin: filing documents, formatting letters, following up on files and entering data in spreadsheets.
• Calendar: booking appointments, resolving scheduling conflicts, sending reminders and arranging travel.
• Email: sorting the inbox, using response templates, sending follow-ups and flagging urgent messages.
• Invoicing: preparing quotes and invoices, tracking payments and chasing late payers.
• Customer service: answering common questions by email or chat and tracking requests.
• Social media: scheduling posts prepared with the client, moderating comments and writing short reports.
• Research: monitoring a topic, comparing suppliers, building contact lists and writing summaries.

Typical clients include solo professionals such as coaches, consultants, tradespeople and licensed professionals. They also include very small and small businesses that don't need a full-time assistant, as well as content creators. These clients are not only buying time. They are paying for confidence that a task will be done well and on schedule.

Which virtual assistant niche should you choose?

Calling yourself a "virtual assistant for everything" makes it harder to find clients, because they cannot see why you are the right fit. A clear niche based on your past experience makes your offer easier to understand. The table below can help you choose.

What this table shows: the tools change little from one niche to another. Your skills and target clients are what set you apart. A former accountant will be credible in invoicing, while a former salesperson will be credible in customer service. If you enjoy writing, our guide to getting started with paid web writing covers a related niche.

How much does a virtual assistant charge, and how do you set your rate?

There is no official rate chart for virtual assistants, and no reliable national average has been established for this job. Be wary of rate ranges shared online without a source. The most reliable approach is to calculate your own rate based on your situation.

The three-number method

1. Your annual target: how much you want to keep after social contributions.
2. Your contribution rate: 25.6% of revenue for non-regulated BNC activities or 21.2% for BIC services, excluding ACRE (a start-up relief scheme).
3. Your billable hours: only hours a client pays for. Prospecting, bookkeeping, training and time off do not count.

The formula is simple: hourly rate = target ÷ (1 − contribution rate) ÷ billable hours. Illustrative example: Claire, a former sales assistant in Nantes, wants to keep €24,000 a year after contributions under the BNC category. She needs to bill 24,000 ÷ 0.744 = €32,258 in revenue. The next question is how many hours she can actually bill.

What this chart shows: for the same target, the required rate doubles when billable hours drop from 1,200 to 600. When you are starting out, much of your time goes into unpaid prospecting. Underestimating that time is a classic mistake. It leads to a rate that is too low, followed by burnout.

Make two adjustments before you settle on a number. First, add your expenses to your target, including software, equipment and professional insurance if you need it. Second, remember that income tax comes on top. The calculation gives you a minimum, not a magic price.

A real example listed on Malt

On the freelance platform Malt, one administrative assistant profile lists €350 per day and €45 per hour excluding VAT. This is one profile among many, with its own level of experience. It is a concrete reference point, not a market average.

What this chart shows: on a €45 bill, contributions take €11.52 under BNC and €9.54 under BIC services. That is before income tax and expenses. A listed rate is never the same as income, so always compare what you actually keep.

Should you charge hourly, per project or on retainer?

When you are starting out, hourly billing helps you measure how long each task really takes. Once you know those durations, project pricing or a retainer becomes more comfortable for both you and your client.

What legal status should a freelance virtual assistant choose in France?

The micro-enterprise is the simplest status for getting started. Paperwork is lighter, and contributions are based on what you receive. Contributions are calculated at the published rates on revenue. You can remain under this regime as long as your services revenue stays below €83,600 excluding VAT per year. That is the current threshold. The former €77,700 threshold no longer applies.

What this chart shows: your activity category has a significant effect on your contributions. BNC (non-commercial profits) covers many remote administrative assistance activities, but some services may fall under BIC (industrial and commercial profits). Check the category assigned when you register instead of assuming it. You can see the full rate details on service-public.gouv.fr.

VAT and the NAF code

As long as your revenue stays below €37,500 for services, with a higher threshold of €41,250, you qualify for the basic VAT exemption. You do not charge VAT, and check the official invoicing wording that applies to your situation. A proposed single €25,000 threshold was scrapped by a law passed in November 2025.

France's statistics agency, Insee, assigns the NAF activity code based on the activity you declare. Virtual assistants often receive 82.19Z, "photocopying, document preparation and other specialized office support activities". The code is used mainly for statistics. The precise description of your services matters more.

If you have other income, such as earnings from micro-tasks, read our article on combining micro-entrepreneur status with micro-task income. Then see our guide to reporting that income to the French tax authorities.

Three special situations

• International students from outside the EU: a student residence permit does not allow you to be an auto-entrepreneur. Salaried work remains possible for up to 964 hours per year (service-public.gouv.fr). Our guide to making money as a student lists other options.
• Retirees: you can combine work and a pension with no cap if you meet the conditions, including a full-rate pension and all pensions claimed. Otherwise, a cap applies (official rules). See also our article for retirees looking for extra income.
• Employees: review your employment contract, especially any exclusivity or loyalty clauses, before approaching clients. This matters most if they work in a field close to your employer's.

Do you need training or certification to become a virtual assistant?

No. The verified facts list one recognized certification option: the Assistant de direction professional title (RNCP38667, level 5). Clients will mainly judge your reliability, writing skills and comfort with their tools.

If you want a recognized certification, the Assistant de direction professional title (RNCP38667) is listed in France's national certification register at level 5. Check the official register for the exact level and scope. Use the France Compétences page as the official reference before paying for any course.

Be cautious with "become a VA" courses sold with promises of fast income. Check whether the course leads to a registered certification, what it actually covers and who runs it. A useful free addition is learning the basic rules for handling personal data. Our article on GDPR and data security covers the essentials.

How do you start a virtual assistant business?

This plan aims to help you prepare your business to invoice. It does not promise a full client list. Prospecting continues after that, and it is often the longest and least predictable phase. Plan for savings or a side income to get through it calmly.

What should a virtual assistant proposal include?

A clear proposal reassures the client and protects you. Here is a simple template to adapt to each request:

1. Your understanding of the context: a short section that restates the client's needs in their own words.
2. Scope: a precise list of included tasks.
3. What is not included: this prevents extra requests from piling up without payment.
4. Timelines and availability: working days, response hours and turnaround times.
5. Rate and billing method: hourly, per project or retainer, with the correct VAT notice.
6. Confidentiality and access: how you will access the client's tools and protect their data.
7. Payment and termination terms: due date, any deposit and notice period.
8. Next step: signature, start date and first check-in.

Illustrative example: Karim, a former payroll administrator in Lyon, offers to take over invoicing and payment reminders for a two-person firm. His proposal fits on one page, states that bookkeeping is not included and schedules a review after one month. The client knows exactly what they are paying for.

What tools do virtual assistants use?

You don't need to master every tool on day one. Clients already use their own tools, and your strength is adapting to them quickly. The most common tool categories are:

• Shared email and calendar: manage an inbox through delegated access and schedule meetings without endless back-and-forth.
• Spreadsheets: invoicing trackers, contact lists and simple dashboards.
• Task management: tracking boards shared with the client so everyone knows who is doing what.
• E-signature: get quotes and contracts signed remotely.
• Video conferencing: discovery calls and regular check-ins.
• Cloud file storage: share documents with controlled access rights.

One rule applies to all these tools: ask for delegated access instead of the client's personal passwords. It is safer for the client and protects you if something goes wrong.

How can you spot a legitimate first client and avoid virtual assistant scams?

People new to remote work are frequent targets. Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, the French government's cybercrime victim assistance service, helped more than 500,000 victims during the year covered by its latest report. That was an increase of 20%, across all types of cybercrime. In the United States, the FTC received about 20,000 reports of "task scams" in the first half of 2024, compared with 5,000 in 2023.

What this checklist shows: a real client pays you for a service and never asks you to pay them. France Travail, the French public employment service, explains these traps on its page about fake job offers. Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr describes the job offer scam. To learn more, read our guide to legitimate work from home without paying upfront.

Can micro-tasks help while you're getting started?

Yes, as a supplement, never as a replacement. Microtaches is not a virtual assistant platform, and you won't find regular clients there. However, between prospecting calls, micro-tasks let you work remotely by following the instructions shown, without having to find clients. If the concept is new to you, read our definition of micro-tasks.

The process has clear rules. Sign-up is free and reviewed by the team. You accept a task, follow the instructions and submit your answer within 60 minutes. Each task is reviewed before it is credited in Ops. More than 44,000 workers are approved, including more than 10,000 in France. Task availability varies by day, country and profile, so no income is guaranteed.

For payments, Microtaches offers bank transfers, several mobile money services and online wallets such as PayPal. Mobile money services and online wallets are available from 25,000 Ops. This income must be reported. Our article on extra income for freelancers explains how to smooth out slow periods, and our list of extra income ideas suggests more options.

Illustrative example: Sophie is launching her virtual assistant business in Lille. She spends her mornings prospecting and uses some quiet afternoon slots for micro-tasks, following the instructions shown. She does not expect this extra income to cover her living costs. It simply helps her keep a work routine while her first clients come in.

Is becoming a virtual assistant right for you?

Sources

• Impots.gouv.fr: micro-enterprise revenue thresholds (€83,600 excl. VAT for services).
• Service-public.gouv.fr, contributions: 12.3%, 21.2% and 25.6% rates excluding ACRE.
• Service-public.gouv.fr, VAT exemption: €37,500 and €41,250 thresholds for services.
• Malt, rate barometer: freelance rate benchmarks, including the administrative assistant profile example.
• France Compétences: official page for the Assistant de direction professional title (RNCP38667, level 5).
• Insee, NAF code 82.19Z: definition of office support activities.
• Insee, remote work: 19.7% of employees worked remotely in 2025.
• France Travail: warning signs of fake recruiters (fees, collection of ID documents and bank details).

Do you need a degree to become a virtual assistant?

The Assistant de direction professional title (RNCP38667, level 5) is a recognized certification; check official requirements before you start.

How much does a virtual assistant charge per hour?

There is no official rate or reliable national average. One administrative assistant profile on Malt lists €45 per hour excluding VAT and €350 per day, but that is only an example. The safest approach is to calculate your rate from your income target, contributions and billable hours.

What business structure should a virtual assistant use in France?

One possible structure is a micro-enterprise. It works as long as your services revenue stays below €83,600 excluding VAT per year. Contributions are based on the revenue you actually receive.

Is a virtual assistant BNC or BIC in France?

It depends on the activity you declare. Many administrative assistance activities fall under BNC (25.6% contributions), while some services may be classified as BIC (21.2%). Check the category assigned when you register.

Does a virtual assistant have to charge VAT?

No, as long as revenue stays below the VAT exemption threshold of €37,500 for services (higher threshold: €41,250). Check the official invoicing wording and VAT rules for your situation.

What NAF code does a virtual assistant use?

Often 82.19Z, which covers document preparation and specialized office support. Insee assigns the code based on the activity you declare. Describe your services precisely when you register.

Can I work as a virtual assistant on a student visa in France?

Not as an auto-entrepreneur: a student residence permit does not allow you to create a micro-enterprise. However, international students from outside the EU can work as employees for up to 964 hours per year.

Can retirees become virtual assistants?

Yes. You can combine work and a pension without a cap if you have a full-rate pension and have claimed all your pensions. Otherwise, a cap applies. Check your situation on service-public.gouv.fr before you start.

How do I avoid virtual assistant job scams?

Never pay to get work. Application, training or equipment fees are red flags. So are requests for ID and bank details before any contract, and recruitment only through WhatsApp or Telegram. France Travail and Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr warn about these signs.

Does Microtaches offer virtual assistant jobs?

No. Microtaches offers micro-tasks completed by following the instructions shown, not virtual assistant clients. It can provide extra income while you get started, but income is not guaranteed because task availability varies by day and profile.