French CPA in Lille for foreign companies and their French subsidiaries
A Paris firm registered with the French Ordre des Experts-Comptables: bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and group reporting for foreign companies in the Lille metropolitan area, in English and French, handled remotely from Paris.
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 Lille?
When a foreign group opens a subsidiary or a branch around Lille, you need someone who can keep the books under French GAAP, file French VAT, run payroll for the first local hire and send head office figures it can actually use. That is our French CPA service in Paris for foreign companies, applied to a set-up in the North: registration of the French entity, day-to-day bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll and social filings, statutory accounts and the corporate tax return, then reporting to the parent under your group standard, IFRS or US GAAP. The firm is based in Paris 8 and Noisy-le-Sec, with no office in Lille: we work remotely, by video call, with electronic signature and secure document collection, and we reply within 24 to 48 business hours.
- 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 permanent establishment
The form you choose drives tax exposure, parent-company liability and timing. We frame that decision, draft the articles of the French SAS or SARL, arrange the capital deposit, file through the INPI single window, then apply for the French VAT and EORI numbers you need for goods moving to and from the UK.
French GAAP bookkeeping and reporting to head office
Your books are kept under the French chart of accounts for the tax authorities, then restated for head office: consolidation package, mapping to your group chart, translation differences, provisions and benefit accruals, and a closing calendar aligned with the group's. Monthly or quarterly reporting is issued in English and we deal directly with your auditors.
Our services in Lille
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 Lille
For a foreign group, Lille is first a logistics position: the Belgian border a few kilometres away, direct trains to Brussels, Paris and London, and fast road access to the Channel and North Sea ports. It is also a long-standing base for mass retail and distance selling, surrounded by logistics providers and online retailers, with a digital cluster built around EuraTechnologies. A local set-up usually takes one of three shapes: a sales office attached to the parent, a distribution subsidiary holding stock, or a shared service centre. Each carries different VAT, customs and permanent-establishment consequences.
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.
Practical guide: setting up and running a French entity in Lille
Everything you need to know about doing business in Lille
Registering with the right court registry
Filing goes through the INPI single window and then the Lille Métropole commercial court registry, which sits in Tourcoing and falls under the Douai court of appeal. Plan for the documents that hold up foreign files: a translated extract from the parent company's register, proof of premises, director ID and non-conviction declaration, the beneficial ownership statement, and the bank certificate confirming the capital deposit. A branch follows different logic: no share capital, but the foreign company's articles and accounts, translated.
VAT, customs and flows with Belgium and the UK
A Lille subsidiary rarely runs purely domestic VAT. Intra-EU supplies to Belgium, distance sales falling under the OSS scheme, import VAT reverse charge and imports from the UK are settled together, not one return at a time. We set the VAT regime and filing frequency, put the EORI number and the intra-EU reporting obligations in place, and check the wording your invoices carry. Holding stock in France, common in northern logistics set-ups, drives both the VAT position and the permanent-establishment question, so it is checked early.
Hiring your first employee, including a Belgian resident
A first hire triggers the DPAE filing before the start date, affiliation to a supplementary pension fund, compulsory group health cover, and the collective bargaining agreement matching the company's real activity, often retail, logistics or engineering services. Monthly DSN filing starts with the first payslip. Two points are settled up front: the local director's status, corporate officer, seconded employee or expatriate, and the case of an employee living in Belgium, whose social security affiliation and taxation follow the EU coordination rules and the France-Belgium tax treaty.
Regional support and first-year tax points
The Hauts-de-France region and the metropolitan authority run support schemes for inbound investment, usually conditional on an application filed before any spending is committed, so they are prepared before registration rather than after. On the tax side, check how business property tax applies in the year of set-up, the corporate tax instalment calendar, and the year-end date you pick against the group's.
Frequently asked questions — Chartered accountant in Lille
Answers to questions entrepreneurs in Lille ask most
Subsidiary or branch: which structure works better in Lille?
A branch has no separate legal personality: the parent company carries the liability. A subsidiary, SAS or SARL, caps the risk at the subscribed capital and makes local hiring and banking simpler. The deciding factor is usually your three-year intention: testing a market, or settling in for the long run.
How long does it take to register a French subsidiary?
The timeline is set by the parent company's paperwork rather than by the registry: a translated register extract, sometimes legalised or apostilled, the capital deposit, proof of premises. We list those documents at the first exchange and flag the ones needing translation or legalisation, usually the longest item.
Does my subsidiary have to charge French VAT?
It depends on where the supply takes place and on who the customer is, not on the group's nationality. A B2B sale to Belgium is in principle reverse-charged by the customer, while sales to EU consumers may belong in the OSS scheme. We map your flows before the first return.
How do you run payroll for our first local hire?
We produce the payslip, the monthly DSN filing and the contribution payments, once the company is attached to the collective bargaining agreement matching its real activity and the compulsory health and disability cover is in place. The employment contract and the director's status are settled up front, since they drive employer cost.
Can you produce reporting for our parent company abroad?
Yes. The books are kept under the French chart of accounts, required for the French tax return, then restated under your group standard, IFRS or US GAAP, using the account mapping and closing calendar you give us. Exchanges with head office and with your auditors are handled in English.
Can you support us remotely from Paris?
Yes. The firm has offices in Paris 8 and Noisy-le-Sec and no office in Lille: video calls, electronic signature, secure document collection and online access to your accounts. On-site meetings remain possible for scoping or year-end work. We reply within 24 to 48 business hours.
Let's meet
Whether by video (100% remote) or at the office, we are available to audit your accounting.