English-speaking accountant in France: set up your SARL, accounting and VAT returns
Moving to France or launching a business here? French rules, forms and deadlines are hard enough in French. We handle your company set-up, your bookkeeping and your VAT returns, and explain everything to you in plain English. You get a qualified French chartered accountant (expert-comptable) and one point of contact.
Setting up your SARL in France, step by step
- Choose your structure and draft the articles of association (statuts): name, registered office, share capital, appointment of the manager (gérant).
- Deposit the share capital with a bank (a SARL can be set up with a small capital).
- Publish the legal notice of incorporation (annonce légale).
- File the registration on the French one-stop online portal (guichet unique). You then receive your Kbis, the official proof of registration.
We prepare and coordinate each step with you, in English.
Your accounting, handled in English
Bookkeeping, annual accounts, corporate tax return, and a clear explanation of your figures in English. You know where your business stands, without having to decode French accounting.
French VAT returns: what's due and when
Depending on your VAT regime, returns are filed monthly (normal regime) or once a year with two instalments in July and December (simplified regime). Some small businesses can benefit from a VAT exemption below certain turnover thresholds. We check which regime applies to you, file your returns online and keep track of every deadline.
Fixed monthly fees, no surprises
One fixed monthly fee agreed upfront for your accounting and VAT returns. Company formation is quoted separately. No hourly billing.
Frequently asked questions
- SARL or SAS: which one should I choose?
- Both limit your liability. In a SARL, a majority manager is covered by the self-employed social security scheme; in an SAS, the president is covered like an employee. The right choice depends on your income, your plans and who runs the company. We go through it with you before you register.
- We are a family: is there a specific option?
- Yes. A SARL formed between family members (spouses, partners in a civil partnership, parents and children, siblings) carrying out a commercial, industrial or craft activity can, under conditions, opt to be taxed under personal income tax: the "SARL de famille". We check whether it makes sense for you.
- Do I need a bank account in France?
- You need a bank account to deposit the share capital and run the business. We guide you through the process.
- Can I run two companies?
- Yes. Each company has its own accounts and its own VAT returns. We can manage both under one engagement.
- Do you work with clients who are still abroad?
- Yes. Everything can be done remotely, by video call and email, in English.
More for foreign groups
Setting up in France
Your French subsidiary handled end to end: registration, accounting, VAT, payroll and reporting in English.
Branch or subsidiary in France?
What actually separates the two structures, and how the choice is usually made.
French payroll, explained
What a French employee really costs, what the monthly filings involve, and the rules that surprise foreign head offices.
French statutory accounts and group reporting
Why your French entity keeps two sets of numbers, and how to bridge French rules and your group framework.
Accounting and tax for French subsidiaries
Bookkeeping, tax, payroll and group reporting for French subsidiaries of foreign groups, explained in English.
French tax and compliance calendar
The main tax, payroll and filing deadlines for foreign-owned companies in France.
Getting paid in France
Payment terms, late payment penalties and the €40 fixed fee.
Accountant for British entrepreneurs in France
Company set-up, gîtes, SARL de famille, VAT and tax returns, in English.
Running a gîte in France
VAT, tourist tax and the SARL de famille option, explained in English.
French VAT for foreign companies
Rates, reverse charge, intra-EU sales, imports and the VAT mistakes we see most often in foreign-owned entities.
Intercompany invoicing in France
Management fees, cost recharges and group loans: what a French subsidiary needs to document and invoice.
Year-end closing of a French subsidiary
Group deadlines, French statutory accounts, tax return, approval and filing, step by step.
E-invoicing in France
The 2026 and 2027 timeline, approved platforms and what changes for French subsidiaries.
French CPA for US companies
What a French expert-comptable does, how it compares with a CPA, and how we work with US headquarters.
Book a call in English
4 avenue du 11 Novembre
92400 Courbevoie
contact@montaben-expertise-conseil.com
