French CPA in Bordeaux for foreign companies and their French subsidiaries
A Paris-based firm handling bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and group reporting for foreign companies operating in and around Bordeaux. The engagement runs remotely, in English or French.
Looking for our main English-speaking practice in Paris? See our dedicated hub for international businesses, foreign-headquartered groups and French subsidiaries.
English-speaking accountant in ParisWhy choose Hayot Expertise for Bordeaux?
A foreign company opening a subsidiary or a branch in Bordeaux has to keep its books under the French chart of accounts, file French VAT, run payroll for its first local hires and report to head office in the group's own framework. We handle that chain: registration, bookkeeping under the plan comptable général, VAT returns, payslips and the monthly DSN filing, statutory accounts and the tax return, then a reporting pack converted to IFRS or US GAAP. The firm is based in Paris 8e and has no premises in Gironde, so the work is done remotely: video calls, electronic signature and a secure document portal. Our French CPA service in Paris for foreign companies sets out the framework. We reply within one to two business days, in English or French.
- Dedicated team, response guaranteed within 24 working hours
- Digital interface, paperless, 24/7 access
- Transparent pricing, no hidden fees
- Firm registered with the Order of Chartered Accountants
Our expertise tailored to your business
Setting up: subsidiary, branch or liaison office
The structure you choose drives your tax exposure and employment obligations. A subsidiary (SAS or SARL) is a separate French company liable to corporate income tax. A branch stays part of the foreign entity: it registers with the Bordeaux commercial court registry and raises a permanent establishment question to settle under the applicable tax treaty. A liaison office, by contrast, cannot trade at all without risking reclassification. We document the choice, draft the incorporation papers, file with the one-stop shop and open your tax and payroll accounts.
French GAAP bookkeeping and group reporting
Head office wants figures in its own framework; the French tax authorities want books under the plan comptable général and a compliant FEC file if they audit you. We produce both: French GAAP entries, VAT, year-end review, statutory accounts and tax return, then a monthly pack converted to IFRS or US GAAP with every adjustment traced line by line. Your controller or CFO deals with us in English, on the group's closing calendar.
Our services in Bordeaux
A comprehensive offering designed for entrepreneurs, executives and investors.
Accounting & financial statements
Bookkeeping, tax returns, monthly dashboards.
Tax optimisation
Corporate tax, income tax, VAT, R&D credits.
Payroll & HR
Payslips, employment contracts, HR management.
Business structuring
Entity choice, incorporation, fundraising, shareholder agreements.
Wealth & real estate
Real estate companies, wealth planning, inheritance.
International & expats
Expats, transfer pricing, foreign accounts, double taxation.
The economic ecosystem of Bordeaux
Seen from a foreign group, Bordeaux runs on three economies with different accounting needs. International wine trading works through the place de Bordeaux, where export flows down the estuary, high-value stock, VAT and excise duties shape the books. Aerospace and defence around Mérignac feed a supply chain built on multi-year contracts and work in progress. The digital sector, backed by the local French Tech ecosystem, attracts development teams and sales subsidiaries. Around Saint-Jean station, the Bordeaux Euratlantique scheme supplies part of the office space they take up.
Areas served
How to work with us
Free audit
We analyse your situation in 10 minutes, with no commitment.
Tailored proposal
Clear and transparent quote, tailored to your activity and budget.
Ongoing support
Your dedicated accountant responds within 24h, available year-round.
Setting up in Bordeaux, step by step
Everything you need to know about doing business in Bordeaux
Registration and the Bordeaux registry
The filing goes through the INPI one-stop shop, then the Bordeaux commercial court registry reviews it. A subsidiary needs signed articles, a blocked capital account, a legal notice and its beneficial owners identified. A branch adds the parent's articles translated by a sworn translator and a recent home register extract, usually apostilled. Start those translations at the outset: nothing can be filed without them.
VAT number and filing obligations
A registered subsidiary receives its intra-EU VAT number from the local business tax office. Under the standard regime, returns are monthly as a rule, with a quarterly option where the tax due stays low. A wine trader exporting outside the EU, a distance seller and a B2B service provider do not report the same flows, so the VAT position is settled before the first invoice goes out.
First local hire: payroll and registrations
Hiring means a DPAE filing with Urssaf, an employment contract drafted in French, enrolment with supplementary pension and death-and-disability funds, private health cover and attachment to the sector's training body. Collective agreements carry real weight here: wine trading, metalworking for aerospace suppliers, Syntec for tech, each with its own grades and pay floors. A company with no French establishment employs through the Urssaf national centre for foreign firms, based in Strasbourg.
Regional specifics worth planning for
Three subjects shape local files. Wine: high-value stock, the en primeur campaign, excise duties and movement documents call for tracking that sits alongside VAT. Aerospace: multi-year contracts, milestone payments and work in progress, which drive when revenue is recognised. Tech: R&D subsidiaries regularly ask about the research tax credit and young innovative company status, both assessed case by case.
Frequently asked questions — Chartered accountant in Bordeaux
Answers to questions entrepreneurs in Bordeaux ask most
How do we register our group's French subsidiary in Bordeaux?
The application goes through the INPI one-stop shop and is reviewed by the Bordeaux commercial court registry. For a foreign parent, three documents need a head start: the home register extract, translated and often apostilled, the resolution appointing the subsidiary's legal representative, and the certificate of capital deposit. We assemble the file and follow it through to the Kbis certificate.
Do we need a French VAT number from day one?
A registered subsidiary obtains its intra-EU VAT number from its local business tax office. A foreign company with no French establishment may also have to register, depending on its flows: goods stored in France, distance selling, construction work. Depending on where the parent sits, a fiscal representative may be required. That is settled before the first invoice goes out.
Who runs payroll for our first employee in Gironde?
We produce the payslips and the monthly DSN filing, once the DPAE and fund registrations are done. The contract must be drafted in French and attached to the right collective agreement, which sets the grade, minimum pay and any contractual bonuses. We review the contract before signature.
Can you report under our parent company's standards?
Yes. The statutory books stay under the French chart of accounts, and alongside them we produce a monthly or quarterly pack converted to the group framework, IFRS or US GAAP, with the adjustments documented. The timetable follows your consolidation calendar.
Do you work in English with our head office?
Yes. Day-to-day exchanges, closing calls and reporting deliverables are handled in English. French legal documents (articles, employment contracts, tax returns, filings) stay in French as the law requires, and we walk head office through them in English for sign-off.
Can you support us remotely from Paris?
Yes. The firm is based at 58 rue de Monceau in Paris 8e and has no premises in Gironde, so the engagement runs remotely: video meetings, electronic signature, a secure document portal and a bank feed for the bookkeeping. We reply within one to two business days, and Bordeaux is about two hours from Paris by train when a meeting on site is warranted.
Let's meet
Whether by video (100% remote) or at the office, we are available to audit your accounting.