No accountant yet? That is the case for most business owners, just after incorporation.
We set up your accounting and tax options, and support you from the first financial year, in English.
No accountant yet?
Three situations, one answer: we take charge of your file, with a clear timetable.
You have just set up your business: you are in your first financial year. This is the best time, whether registration is complete or under way. Some options can only be changed within short time limits. As soon as you choose us, we review with you the options taken at incorporation: tax regime, VAT, year-end date.
Your first financial year has closed: the second year begins, and the first accounts must be filed. Nothing is lost, and this is a common time to contact us. You simply need to move quickly: the tax return is generally due within three months of the year-end. We take over your transactions from the start of the first financial year, then prepare with you your first annual accounts and corporate tax return.
Several years are still to be prepared, or you have received a reminder from the commercial court registry or the tax office. This can be sorted out, with a clear method: a review first, then your file brought up to date, year by year, before the ongoing support. Catch-up accounting and late accounts
Whatever your situation, you are not on your own.
Our commitments are written in our collaboration charter: a single contact, your chartered accountant; a reply usually within two working days; the calendar of your deadlines, shared from the start; a written scope and fees, known before you commit.
Choosing your first accountant well
An accountant does more than keep your books: they anticipate needs you are not yet aware of.
What to check before choosing:
- registration with the French Order of chartered accountants (Ordre des experts-comptables), which you can check in the Order’s official directory;
- a named contact, who follows your file from one year to the next and answers quickly;
- a written engagement letter: services included, fees, who does what;
- simple tools: document upload, bank feeds, a calendar of your deadlines.
Needs to anticipate from the first year:
- VAT: regime, VAT exemption threshold or not, filing frequency;
- your pay and your social contributions as a director;
- e-invoicing: receiving e-invoices has been mandatory for all businesses in France since 1 September 2026, and issuing them will be for SMEs and micro-businesses from 1 September 2027 (what changes);
- your first employee: payroll and social filings;
- approval of the accounts and, for a company, filing them with the commercial court registry.
Several proposals in hand? Compare them with our grid.
Getting started in 3 steps
On your side, three steps. We take care of the rest.
- Your meeting and your proposal Your meeting booked in 2 minutes, your fee estimate in 5 more. At the meeting, free and without obligation, we review your situation in English, with your Kbis extract or SIRENE notice and articles where applicable; you usually receive your written proposal at the meeting, if you sent us your documents beforehand.
- Your engagement letter, signed online Happy with the proposal? We prepare the engagement letter, which you sign online.
- We get started Tax and VAT regimes checked, options exercised on time, secure space and bank feeds, then your first returns and the first financial year’s accounts. First year-end approaching? We first take over the transactions since the start of the year.
What we put in place
- Review of your tax and VAT regime
- Accounting organised from the first financial year
- First VAT returns and tax deadlines anticipated
- Director’s remuneration, put in place at the right time, when the business allows
- Tools: secure space, bank feeds, invoicing app
- À la carte services, if you wish: payroll from your first employee, annual corporate legal work
You have not started the formalities yet? For a simple incorporation, you can complete them yourself, free of charge, on the INPI one-stop shop. For a more complex one, a lawyer is the right contact: see the official directories. Our free salary simulators can help you prepare. Come back to us as soon as your registration is filed.
Running a subsidiary in France? We also support French subsidiaries of foreign groups, in English with you and your head office. See our support for subsidiaries and international entrepreneurs
Our fees, set out clearly
For a first indication for your situation, in 2 minutes: estimate my budget.
What our fees cover, and the set-up fees to expect: see our fees.
Frequently asked questions
Is it compulsory to have an accountant in France?
No: the law does not require you to use a chartered accountant. However, every business must keep accounts suited to its tax regime and file its tax returns; a company must also prepare its annual accounts, have them approved and, in most cases, file them with the commercial court registry. Your accountant handles this with you, secures your choices and saves you time, so you can focus on your business.
When should I appoint an accountant after incorporation?
As soon as the business is registered, or while registration is under way: some options, such as the tax or VAT regime, can only be changed within short time limits. An accountant appointed early makes sure any adjustments are made on time, and accounts organised from day one avoid costly catch-up work later.
My first year-end is approaching and I have no accountant: is it too late?
No, and it is a common time to contact us. We take over your transactions from the start of the first financial year: bank statements, invoices, receipts. We check your tax options and VAT, then prepare with you your annual accounts and tax return. The work on the past year is priced in your proposal. Contact us as early as possible, before the year-end or just after: accounts prepared ahead are prepared calmly. Get my free meeting and quote
Several years behind, or a reminder from the registry or the tax office: can you take over my file?
Yes, with a clear method. We first review the situation: years to prepare, pending returns, letters received. We then bring your file up to date, year by year, under the same engagement letter as your ongoing accounting; each year is priced in advance. Sorting things out quickly limits any penalties and surcharges. Catch-up accounting and late accounts
How do I choose an accountant after setting up my business in France?
First check their registration with the French Order of chartered accountants. Then compare what will make up your day-to-day: a named, responsive contact, a written engagement letter (services included, fees, who does what), simple tools and a calendar of your deadlines. A good accountant also anticipates your needs ahead: VAT, director’s pay, e-invoicing, a first employee. For a simple incorporation, the formalities can be completed free of charge on the INPI one-stop shop; for a more complex one, a lawyer is the right contact. Compare proposals with our grid
What do I need to send you to get started?
For a company: the Kbis extract (certificate of incorporation), the articles of association, ID documents of the directors and shareholders, and the company’s bank details. For a sole trader: the SIRENE registration notice, your ID document and the dedicated bank account details. Is your first financial year already well under way? Add your bank statements and invoices since the start of the business. We give you the full list at the meeting. Both documents are free: the Kbis extract and the Sirene status notice.
When can I pay myself?
Remuneration needs stability and visibility: turnover invoiced and collected, cash, personal situation. We discuss it together to put it in place at the right time. Example non-remuneration certificate for France Travail
When is my first VAT return due?
It depends on your VAT regime: monthly, quarterly or annual. We check it at the start and prepare your first returns on time.
When must the first accounts of a business be prepared and filed in France?
The first year’s accounts are prepared after its year-end, which may fall more or less than twelve months after incorporation depending on the date chosen. For a company subject to corporate income tax, the tax return is due within three months of the year-end (article 223 of the French tax code); for a 31 December year-end, as for businesses subject to personal income tax, by the second working day after 1 May, with an extra fifteen days usually granted for online filing. A SARL, SAS or SA then approves its accounts within six months of the year-end and files them with the commercial court registry within one month of approval (two months if filed online). We anticipate these deadlines with you from the start.
Recently created company already working with an accountant in France: how do you join us?
It is simple: you send your termination letter to your previous firm (we give you an example to adapt), and we organise the handover of your file with them, in line with professional rules. Some tax options can only be changed within short time limits, so it is best to contact us early. Changing accountant in 3 steps