Accountants and corporate service providers in Paris

Sectors named by Paris firms

Real estate comes first, named by 21 Paris firms. Associations follow with 11, a group that stands out in the capital, then the liberal professions with ten and retail with nine. Start-ups appear under two spellings, named nine and eight times. Healthcare is named by six, restaurants and hospitality by five each, and construction and crypto by four each. Three firms name private equity, three name technology and three name work for the public sector, while two mention agriculture.

The structures listed by Paris firms follow the same pattern. The SARL is named by 18, the SAS and the SCI, a civil company often used to hold property, by 16 each, and holding companies by 15. Ten firms handle branches and nine handle subsidiaries, the two usual routes for a foreign group entering France. The single-shareholder SASU and EURL are named by five each and the SA by four. Two firms each mention liaison offices, associations, the SELARL and the SPFPL, the forms used by regulated professions and their holding companies.

Services offered in Paris

Tax compliance is offered by 67 of the 68 Paris firms. Company formation is listed by 52 and accounting by 48, so a few firms in the capital handle the incorporation and the tax side without keeping the books themselves. Payroll is offered by 46, corporate secretarial work by 39, audit by 35 and VAT by 32, under half of the Paris list. If your company will charge VAT in France, confirm that the firm prepares and files the returns rather than leaving them to you.

Fourteen Paris firms provide a virtual office, out of 18 in the whole of France, which helps if you need a Paris address before you rent premises. Six help open a business bank account and three support residence permits or visas.

Clients and languages in Paris

SMEs are the client group most often named, by 29 Paris firms. Start-ups are named by ten and foreign companies setting up in France by nine. Seven name non-residents and six business owners. International groups, private clients, the liberal professions and associations are named by five each, while company directors, mid-sized companies and subsidiaries of foreign groups each have four firms. In all, 45 of the 68 say they focus on foreign clients; the accountants for foreign clients page lists every such firm in the country.

English is offered by 47 Paris firms and French by 52. Spanish comes next with five, then Italian and Chinese with four each, Russian with three and German with two. All four Chinese-speaking firms listed in France are in Paris. One firm each works in Portuguese, Arabic, Korean, Greek, Basque and Hebrew. The Italian-speaking accountants page gathers the 17 French firms that work in Italian.

Credentials and history in Paris

Several Paris firms state membership of the regional Ordre des Experts-Comptables for Paris Île-de-France, the body for chartered accountants in the region. Two describe themselves as commissaires aux comptes, the statutory auditors, and one names the regional auditors’ association for Paris. Among the lawyers, one states admission to the Paris Bar and one to a Brazilian bar, and one firm has IRS Enrolled Agents for clients with American tax affairs. Sixteen firms give a founding year: the oldest dates from 1899 and the median from 1985. Six publish their prices.

Choosing a firm in Paris

With 68 firms to choose from, narrow the Paris list by the structure you need first: a branch or subsidiary of a foreign group calls for different experience from an SCI holding a flat. Then ask which partner signs off your accounts and whether audit is handled in house. One firm in Neuilly-sur-Seine appears on the France page, which also explains the setup steps, and the company formation page covers incorporation providers. For a wider comparison, see Lyon and Nice, or send one quote request through Accountanty to reach several Paris firms.