Cost of a Chartered Accountant for Restaurant in 2026

Updated in March 2026 ”” This is one of the first questions asked by any restaurateur who opens or takes over an establishment: how much will I pay for my accountant? The honest answer is that there is no one-size-fits-all price. The cost depends on the volume to be processed, the size of the file, the number of employees and the level of advice you need. This guide gives you a realistic range, explains what this mission really covers, and helps you understand why choosing a firm specialized in restoration makes a real difference.

For a restaurant, the fees of an accountant are generally between €350 and €750 excluding tax per month, depending on the following elements:

• ▸The volume of accounting documents: number of supplier invoices, receipts, bank statements, expense reports to be processed each month.
• ▸The number of employees: each pay slip represents additional work, to which is added the complexity of the HCR collective agreement (Hotels, Cafés, Restaurants), renowned as one of the most technical in France.
• ▸Legal structure: SAS, SARL, EURL (Single-member limited liability company) or individual company ”” each involves different reporting obligations.
• ▸The number of establishments: if you manage several sites, the accounting scope multiplies accordingly.
• ▸The desired level of support: basic missions (balance sheet + VAT + payroll) or more complete support with monthly dashboards, cash flow forecasts, and proactive tax advice.

This range covers essential missions. For a detailed and personalized offer depending on your situation, consult our prices page.

1. Current accounting: much more than data entry

In a restaurant, accounting is structurally more complex than in many other sectors. For what ? Because you handle daily cash or credit card flows, variable raw material purchases, frequent deliveries from numerous suppliers, and fragmented collections (room, click & collect, Uber Eats / Deliveroo delivery, restaurant vouchers, lunch vouchers).

Our mission includes:

• ▸Collection and processing of bank and cash statements
• ▸Lettering and tallying of accounts
• ▸Monthly or quarterly accounting review
• ▸Preparation of the annual balance sheet and income statement
• ▸Submission of the tax package (forms 2065, 2033 or 2031 depending on your status)

2. Multi-rate VAT: the number one specificity of catering

This is one of the most technical and riskiest points for a restaurateur. In France, VAT on catering is not uniform:

This multi-rate breakdown must be retraced rigorously in your certified cash register software (obligatory since 2018) and in your monthly CA3 or annual CA12 declarations. A rate error can trigger a VAT recall with penalties during a tax audit. We check the consistency of this breakdown at each reporting deadline.

3. Payroll and social issues: the HCR convention is a minefield

The national collective agreement for Hotels, Cafés, Restaurants (HCR) is one of the most complex in French labor law. It imposes specific rules on:

• ▸Increases for overtime and cuts
• ▸Benefits in kind (meals provided by the employer), which reduce the base of social contributions but must be valued correctly
• ▸Salary scales by benchmark job (1st category cook, chef, waiter, etc.)
• ▸The duration of work and the equivalences specific to the profession
• ▸Severance pay and the rules of conventional termination

Each month we produce HCR-compliant pay slips, the DSN (Nominative Social Declaration) and monitoring of paid leave. In the event of a URSSAF (French social contributions authority) inspection, we support you point by point.

4. Periodic tax declarations

Beyond the annual report, a restaurant generates numerous reporting obligations throughout the year:

• ▸VAT: monthly declaration (CA3) or quarterly depending on your regime
• ▸IS installments (corporate tax): in March, June, September and December
• ▸CFE (Corporate Land Contribution): declaration and payment in December
• ▸CVAE (if applicable depending on your turnover)
• ▸Payroll tax (if you are not subject to VAT, rare but existing case)
• ▸Declaration 1330-CVAE and other additional obligations

We manage these deadlines for you, with preventive alerts so you never miss a deadline.

Keeping accounts is one thing. Optimizing your taxes is another. Here are the points on which a specialized firm like ours really makes the difference.

Choice and optimization of your executive compensation

In an SARL or SAS, the way you are paid (salary, dividends, or a combination of the two) has a direct impact on your social security contributions and your personal tax. Every year, we simulate the optimal remuneration plan based on your results, your family situation and your wealth objectives.

Depreciation and management of fixed assets

A restaurant uses significant assets: kitchen equipment, room layout, cash register system, delivery vehicle, software, etc. Each category has its own regulatory depreciation period. We create and follow the table of fixed assets to maximize deductible expenses each financial year.

Tax credit and sectoral aid

Depending on your activity, you may benefit from specific tax credits or exemptions. We check every year that you are not missing out on a benefit to which you are entitled.

Deficit management and carry-back

If your result is in deficit (first year, major work, off-peak period), we optimize the tax deficit carryover to reduce tax for subsequent years, in strict compliance with the rules of the CGI.

A chartered accountant registered with the Ordre des Experts-Comptables is not simply a service provider. He incurs his professional civil liability for the work he signs. This means that:

• ▸If an accounting or tax error is attributable to him, his professional insurance covers the damage caused to the client
• ▸It is subject to strict professional standards (NEP, OEC standards) which govern the quality of the work
• ▸He has an obligation to provide proactive advice: he must alert you to the tax risks identified, even if you do not explicitly ask him the question
• ▸In the event of a tax audit, he assists you with the administration, drafts the answers and defends your interests

This responsibility engages the firm throughout the mission. This is not the case for simple accounting software or a self-employed person not registered with the OEC.

Hayot Expertise is not a general firm. We have been supporting restaurateurs, franchise managers, food trucks, dark kitchens and CHR establishments for many years. This specialization is not a marketing argument ”” it translates into concrete choices in the way we work:

• ▸We know the classic mistakes of the sector: incorrect VAT breakdown, poorly valued benefits in kind, poorly increased HCR overtime, uncertified cash register. We detect and correct them before they become a problem.
• ▸We speak your operational language: food cost, average ticket, fill rate, gross margin by product family. Our dashboards are designed to give you actionable metrics, not unreadable raw data.
• ▸We know the tax and social calendar specific to your sector, to anticipate declaration peaks and smooth your cash flow.
• ▸We support restaurateurs who open, take over or sell an establishment: business plan, evaluation of goodwill, optimal legal structuring.

Our mission: allow you to concentrate on your kitchen and your dining room, knowing that your accounting, tax and social obligations are perfectly managed.

At Hayot Expertise, our fees are flat rate and transparent. We do not charge by the hour in an opaque manner. Your mission is defined from the start: what it includes, what it does not include, and the possible annual review depending on the evolution of your activity.

The elements that vary the amount of your package:

1. ▸The volume of documents to be processed (invoices, statements, expense reports)
2. ▸The number of pay slips to produce each month
3. ▸The VAT regime (monthly vs. quarterly)
4. ▸The level of advice included (dashboards, forecasts, quarterly monitoring)
5. ▸The number of sites if you manage several establishments

To find out the package suitable for your restaurant, consult our detailed pricing page or make an appointment for a free audit of your situation.

Restaurant accounting is an area where mistakes are costly. The most common ones we encounter with new clients:

• ▸VAT poorly broken down between rates 5.5%, 10% and 20% → tax reminder in the event of an audit
• ▸Benefits in kind undeclared meals → URSSAF adjustment
• ▸HCR convention poorly applied → labor dispute with employees
• ▸Uncertified fund → fine of €7,500 and presumption of tax fraud
• ▸Tax package submitted after the deadline → automatic increases of 10 to 40%
• ▸Sub-optimized tax result → tax paid in excess due to lack of management

These risks are avoidable. They are all the easier when a competent firm is involved from the first exercise.

A restaurant operates on often tight margins. The accountant is not a constrained expense ”” it is an investment in compliance, optimization and peace of mind. Between €350 and €750 per month, you secure your VAT returns, your pay slips, your balance sheet and your taxes, while having an expert contact at your side when you need them.

At Hayot Expertise, we specialize in supporting restaurateurs and CHR professionals. We know what it means to manage an establishment on a daily basis, and we adapt our mission to your operational realities.

👉 Discover our detailed packages and prices for restaurants

📞 Do you want a first exchange without obligation? Make an appointment with an expert from our firm ”” the first appointment is free.