Setting up in France
Your French subsidiary, handled end to end, in English.
France is not a difficult country to operate in. It is a difficult country to operate in without someone who knows how it works.
Foreign companies establishing a French entity face three obligations at once: French statutory accounting under a chart of accounts that resembles nothing you use at home, French VAT with its own registration, filing and intra-EU rules, and French payroll, with collective bargaining agreements,, mandatory health cover, monthly social declarations, and employer contributions that rarely match what you budgeted. All of it in French, all of it on deadlines set by the tax authorities rather than by your group calendar.
What we do
Before you start.
We advise on the entity form, handle the registration, obtain your VAT number, and set up the accounting and payroll before your first employee is hired or your first invoice is issued. Getting this right at the outset costs a fraction of correcting it eighteen months later.
Month to month.
Bookkeeping under French GAAP, VAT returns, payroll and social declarations, corporate tax filings, and statutory accounts. You receive a monthly reporting pack in English on a schedule that fits your group close, not ours.
Whenever you need an answer.
A single point of contact who explains what the rule is, what it means for you, and what you have to decide. In English, without translation, and without you having to ask twice.
Why us
We are a French chartered accountancy firm registered with the Ordre des Experts-Comptables, based in Courbevoie, next to La Défense. Our founder holds the French DEC and spent close to twenty years in the profession, including several with international audit firms, so we know both the French rules and the reporting format your parent company expects.
We work in French and in English.
One thing to plan for now
From 1 September 2026, every business registered for VAT in France must be able to receive electronic invoices through a certified platform, with no exemption for small entities and no transition period. Issuing becomes mandatory on the same date for large companies, and on 1 September 2027 for everyone else. If your French entity is not connected to a certified platform by that date, it cannot legally receive supplier invoices. We handle the setup.
Frequently asked questions
- What accounting obligations does a French subsidiary have?
- A French subsidiary keeps its books under the French chart of accounts, files annual statutory accounts and a corporate tax return, and files them with the commercial court registry. Bookkeeping must be kept in French and in euros, and supporting documents must be retained for ten years.
- Is a branch treated differently from a subsidiary?
- A branch has no separate legal personality, but it is still registered in France, keeps French accounting records for its French activity, registers for VAT, and runs French payroll for its local staff. A subsidiary files its own statutory accounts, while a branch reports through its parent company.
- What are the payroll and social obligations for local staff?
- Employers register the company with the French social bodies, apply the relevant collective bargaining agreement, provide mandatory health cover, issue monthly payslips, and file the monthly social declaration. Employer contributions are calculated on gross salary and paid monthly or quarterly depending on headcount.
- How does French VAT work for a new entity?
- The entity registers for VAT, receives a French VAT number, and files returns monthly or quarterly depending on turnover. Intra-EU sales and purchases are reported separately. From 1 September 2026, every VAT registered business in France must be able to receive electronic invoices through a certified platform.
- Can we receive reporting to the parent company in English?
- Yes. We prepare a monthly reporting pack in English, with the figures mapped to your group format and a written commentary. The statutory filings remain in French, as required by law, and we explain them to you in English.
More for foreign groups
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.
Book a call
A first conversation, in English, to understand what your French entity will need.
4 avenue du 11 Novembre
92400 Courbevoie
contact@montaben-expertise-conseil.com