Accounting and bookkeeping in France

A company registered in France keeps its books in euros, and the figures it records each month feed the VAT returns, the corporate tax return and the annual accounts the shareholders approve. For an owner abroad, the practical work is getting purchase invoices, sales invoices and bank statements to the accountant on time, and receiving figures you can actually read. French firms usually call the service tenue comptable and often sell it together with the year-end closing (the bilan) and the tax returns as one yearly engagement, so check exactly what a quoted fee covers.

Firms offering accounting in France

CERALP

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

Lyon

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +3 more

Languages: French · English · German

View profile of CERALP

ADEKI

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Lyon

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +3 more

Languages: French · English

View profile of ADEKI

Astria

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Paris

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +4 more

Languages: French · English · German

View profile of Astria

COGEP

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

Lyon

  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • VAT
  • +2 more

Languages: French · English

View profile of COGEP

Easton

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

Lyon

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +3 more

Languages: French · English

View profile of Easton

Eurex

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

Paris

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +5 more

Languages: French · English

View profile of Eurex

In Extenso

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

Lyon

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +5 more

Languages: French · English · Spanish · Italian

View profile of In Extenso

INELYS

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

Lyon

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +4 more

Languages: French · English

View profile of INELYS

Roche & Cie

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Lyon

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +2 more

Languages: French · English · Italian · Russian

View profile of Roche & Cie

AGEX

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

Paris

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +4 more

Languages: French

View profile of AGEX

59 more firms offering accounting in France

Questions for an accountant in France

A company may keep its own books, but once it hands them to a professional it must use an expert-comptable on the roll of the Ordre, so ask to see that registration. Ask which software the firm uses, whether you can upload receipts yourself, and whether the monthly or quarterly reports come in English. If your French company belongs to a group, ask whether the firm can deliver figures in your parent’s format and timetable as well as the French one. Find out how extra work is charged, such as a year with far more transactions than planned or a request from the tax office.

Accounting firms on Accountanty in France

There are 83 firms on Accountanty that keep accounts in France, 80 of them accounting firms and three corporate service providers. By size, 45 are small, 25 medium-sized and 13 belong to large networks. French is offered by 67 and English by 56, with Italian at 15 and German at eight. Fifty-nine say they work with foreign clients, and 75 also run payroll. Paris has 48 of them, Lyon 22 and Nice 12. The returns built on these books are covered in tax compliance in France.

Frequently asked questions

Can I receive the accounts of my French company in English?

The accounts and returns sent to the French authorities are prepared in French. Many firms add management reports in English alongside them, and 56 of the 83 firms that keep accounts in France on Accountanty offer English, so ask for a sample report before you sign.

What does a French accountant need from me each month?

Sales and purchase invoices, bank statements, expense receipts and any contract that changes the figures, such as a lease or a loan. Agree a monthly date and a channel for sending them, because late documents hold up the VAT return as well as the books.

Other services in France

Accountants by city in France

Setting up a company in France: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.