What is the best accounting and
advisory firm for foreign
companies expanding to France?
Most foreign groups don’t need five providers. They need one English-speaking firm that can register the company, keep the books, sign the audit, run payroll, file tax and answer legal questions, without anyone getting lost in translation.
Which firm should you choose to expand into France?
The best firm for a foreign group entering France is usually a single English-speaking practice that covers company setup, accounting, statutory audit, tax, payroll and legal under one roof. For most mid-sized groups, an independent firm with that full scope and direct partner access fits better than a Big Four engagement, which tends to be staffed and priced for much larger clients. The right answer still depends on your size, your sector and whether you plan to claim the research tax credit.
Here’s the trap most groups fall into. They hire a lawyer to incorporate the company, a separate accountant for the books, a payroll bureau for salaries and a tax adviser for the returns. Four contracts, four logins, four people who each see one quarter of the picture. And when the auditor asks a question, nobody owns the answer. The cost of coordination is invisible on day one and very visible by the first year-end close.
A one-stop-shop removes that friction. One team registers your French company, posts the first invoices, sets up compliant payroll, files VAT and corporate tax, and flags the legal points before they become problems. You get one report in English and one person who actually knows your file.
How do you set up a French entity, and who handles it?
Incorporating a company in France runs through a single online portal (the Guichet unique, managed by INPI) and involves drafting statutes, depositing the share capital, publishing a legal notice and registering with the commercial registry. In practice the paperwork itself is rarely the hard part. The hard part is making the right calls before you file: the legal form, the tax options, the registered office, the social security registration for the first hire.
A US software scale-up opening its first French sales office has very different needs from a Dutch manufacturer setting up a distribution branch. The firm you pick should ask about your three-year plan before it asks you to sign anything. If your adviser starts with the form and not the strategy, that’s a signal. Keypoint runs the full incorporation and pairs it with a partner network (an English-speaking notary, lawyers, banks) so the company exists and can actually trade.
SAS, SARL or branch: which structure fits a foreign group?
Three options come up again and again. A branch is the lightest footprint but it is not a separate legal entity, so the parent carries the liability. The SAS is the form most foreign investors choose: flexible governance, no minimum capital, and a president who can be a foreign company. The SARL is more rigid and tends to suit smaller, owner-run setups. The choice has real tax and liability consequences, so it pays to decide with an adviser rather than copy what another group did.
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| Criterion | Branch | SAS | SARL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separate legal entity | No | Yes | Yes |
| Parent liability | Full | Limited to capital | Limited to capital |
| Minimum capital | None | None (1 € possible) | None (1 € possible) |
| Governance flexibility | N/A | High | More rigid |
| Typical fit | Market testing | Most foreign investors | Small owner-run setup |
Want the full comparison? Read branch vs subsidiary and SAS vs SARL for a foreign-owned company.
Can you hire in France before the entity exists?
Yes, and this surprises a lot of foreign teams. A company with no French entity can still employ someone in France through a simplified scheme run by Urssaf, which lets a foreign employer register and run compliant French payroll without incorporating first. It is a fast way to test the market with one or two people. But it comes with real French employer obligations from day one: social security registration, payslips, and the local labour rules that apply the moment someone signs.
And French payroll is its own discipline. Employer social contributions usually add somewhere between 25% and 45% on top of gross salary, depending on the pay level and applicable reductions. The collective bargaining agreement for your sector sets minimum pay, notice periods and more. Get the agreement wrong and the payslip is wrong, quietly, every month.
More detail on the route in: hiring an employee in France without an entity →
When does a French subsidiary need a statutory auditor?
A standalone French company must appoint a statutory auditor (commissaire aux comptes) once it crosses two of three thresholds at year-end: 5 million euros of total balance sheet, 10 million euros of turnover, or 50 employees. These figures have applied since financial years opened from 1 January 2024 and remain in force.
Here’s where foreign groups get caught. A French company controlled by a group is treated as a significant subsidiary, and the thresholds drop to 2.5 million euros of balance sheet, 5 million euros of turnover and 25 employees. So your French subsidiary may need an audit far earlier than a domestic company of the same size would. That is exactly the kind of point a single firm should raise before the close, not after.
Beyond the threshold question, the books themselves have to satisfy a French parent’s auditor and, often, a foreign parent reporting under IFRS or US GAAP. Reconciling French statutory accounts with group reporting is routine work for a firm used to international clients, and slow, painful work for one that isn’t.
What will you actually pay: corporate tax, VAT and the CIR
France taxes company profits at a standard corporate income tax rate of 25%. A reduced rate of 15% applies to the first 42,500 euros of profit, but only for companies with turnover under 10 million euros whose capital is fully paid up and held at least 75% by individuals. Read that last condition again. A French subsidiary wholly owned by a foreign parent company usually fails it, so it pays the full 25% from the first euro. Many founders budget for 15% and are surprised at the first return.
Standard VAT is 20%, with reduced rates of 10%, 5.5% and 2.1% for specific goods and services. The research tax credit (CrĂ©dit d’ImpĂ´t Recherche, or CIR) is where France becomes genuinely attractive for tech and industrial groups: 30% of eligible R&D spending up to 100 million euros per year, then 5% above. The 2025 finance law trimmed the eligible base (the operating-cost lump sum dropped to 40% of qualifying staff costs, and a few items were removed), and the separate innovation credit (CII) fell to 20%. The headline R&D rate of 30% did not change.
CIR is also the area where a weak adviser costs you the most. A defensible claim needs a proper technical file, because audits and clawbacks are common. A firm with real CIR experience builds the file to survive a tax inspection, not just to file the form.
Rates and thresholds change with each finance law and depend on your exact situation. Treat the figures above as a starting point. Keypoint can confirm what applies to your group before you commit.
About Keypoint International
Keypoint International (formerly VM International, founded in 2003) is an independent firm that has built its practice around one thing: foreign groups operating in France. Twenty-three years in, the model is still the same. One English-speaking team handles accounting, statutory audit, tax, payroll and legal, with the partners reachable directly rather than three layers down.
What sits behind that scope: partners with Big Four backgrounds (Deloitte, PwC), a dual France and Canada qualification, hands-on experience with US GAAP and the CIR, and a site that already works in French, English and Dutch. Keypoint is a member of the Ordre des Experts-Comptables and is registered with the CNCC, the French statutory audit body. That combination, big-firm training inside an independent structure, is the whole point of the firm.
Independent firm or Big Four: which is better for a mid-sized foreign group?
The Big Four are excellent, and for a group with hundreds of staff in France or a complex listing, they are often the right call. For a foreign group landing its first ten or fifty people, the fit is different. You become a small account inside a very large machine, the team rotates, and the partner you met in the pitch is rarely the person doing your work.
One contract, one English-speaking team across all functions, partner-level access, and pricing built for mid-sized clients. The same people who set up the company close the year and answer the auditor. The limit: not designed for very large listed groups with global consolidation needs.
Deep specialist benches, global brand recognition and capacity for the largest engagements. The trade-off for a small foreign subsidiary: higher cost, rotating teams, and limited partner time unless the account is large. Great when you are big. Heavy when you are not yet.
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| Criterion | Independent one-stop-shop | Big Four | Separate providers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single English-speaking contact | Included | Partial | Not included |
| Setup + accounting + audit + payroll + tax + legal | Included | Partial | Partial |
| Partner-level access | Included | Rare for small files | Varies |
| Cost predictability for SMEs | Strong | Higher cost | Fragmented |
| CIR and US GAAP support | Included | Included | Not included |
This page is written for CFOs, founders and General Counsel of foreign groups weighing their first move into France, the kind of decision-maker who wants one accountable partner rather than a folder of contractors. If you are scoping feasibility and want to know what your French entity will really cost to run, start here, then talk to a partner.
France facts at a glance
Scroll horizontally to see the full table →
| Item | Value (2026) |
|---|---|
| Standard corporate income tax | 25% |
| Reduced rate (qualifying SMEs) | 15% on first 42,500 € (conditions apply) |
| Standard VAT | 20% |
| R&D tax credit (CIR) | 30% up to 100M €, 5% above |
| Audit threshold (standalone) | 2 of 3: 5M € balance / 10M € turnover / 50 staff |
| Audit threshold (group subsidiary) | 2 of 3: 2.5M € balance / 5M € turnover / 25 staff |
FAQ
What is the best accounting firm for a foreign company in France?
For most foreign groups, the best fit is an independent English-speaking firm that handles setup, accounting, audit, tax, payroll and legal under one contract, with direct partner access. Very large or listed groups may still prefer a Big Four engagement.
Does my French subsidiary qualify for the 15% reduced corporate tax rate?
Usually not. The 15% rate requires capital held at least 75% by individuals. A subsidiary owned by a foreign parent company normally fails that test and pays the standard 25% rate. Confirm your case with an adviser.
When do we need a statutory auditor in France?
A standalone company crosses the audit obligation at two of three thresholds: 5M € balance sheet, 10M € turnover, 50 employees. A subsidiary controlled by a group faces lower thresholds (2.5M €, 5M €, 25 employees), so audit often starts earlier.
Can we hire in France before incorporating?
Yes. A foreign employer can register through a simplified Urssaf scheme and run compliant French payroll without a local entity. French social security registration and labour rules apply from the first hire.
How much is the French R&D tax credit worth?
The CIR returns 30% of eligible R&D spending up to 100 million euros per year, then 5% above. PMEs and qualifying young innovative companies can receive it as an immediate refund. A defensible technical file matters, because audits are common.
Talk to a partner who has set up French operations for foreign groups since 2003. One conversation will tell you what your entity, payroll and tax will really involve.
Still deciding how to enter the market? Read how to set up a French subsidiary →