French CPA in Lyon: subsidiary, branch and French bookkeeping for foreign companies
A Paris-based expert-comptable firm working in English with foreign groups that run a French entity in the Lyon area, entirely remotely.
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 Lyon?
A foreign group setting up in the Lyon area needs one thing first: a French entity kept to French rules, filed on time and readable by head office. Hayot Expertise is a Paris-registered accounting firm (expert-comptable, the French equivalent of a CPA) working with foreign companies that open a subsidiary, a branch or a first establishment in Lyon: structure, registration, bookkeeping under the French chart of accounts, VAT returns, local payroll, statutory accounts and the corporate tax return, then reporting to the parent. We work in English with your finance team and in French with the authorities, replying within one to two business days. The engagement runs remotely from Paris through video calls, e-signature and secure document collection, alongside our French CPA in Paris service for foreign companies.
- 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
Subsidiary, branch or permanent establishment
The structure you choose drives group exposure, corporate tax treatment, VAT position and employment obligations. We frame the decision, then handle the registration: by-laws, capital deposit, proof of a registered office, parent company documents translated and legalised or apostilled, the beneficial ownership filing, and follow-up to the Kbis extract.
French GAAP bookkeeping and group reporting
Your accounts have to satisfy two readers: the French authorities and your consolidation team. We keep the books under the French chart of accounts, prepare the statutory accounts and the corporate tax return, and produce a reporting pack mapped to your group chart of accounts, with IFRS or US GAAP adjustments identified line by line and a closing calendar aligned to yours.
Our services in Lyon
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 Lyon
Seen from a foreign head office, Lyon is one of France's main economic basins outside the Paris region, and a natural landing point for an industrial or scientific operation. The Vallée de la Chimie groups energy, chemicals and environmental technology south of the city. Gerland concentrates health and biotechnology. La Part-Dieu holds finance functions, banks and shared services, while Villeurbanne and the Doua campus add research and engineering. Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport and the TGV line put the city about two hours from Paris, within reach of Switzerland and northern Italy. For a new entity, that means industrial bargaining agreements, local taxes to budget for and steady reporting.
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 Lyon
Everything you need to know about doing business in Lyon
Registration and the Lyon court registry
Formation goes through the national online one-stop shop, but the file is examined by the registry of the Lyon tribunal des activités économiques, the name the local commercial court has carried since 1 January 2025, and that registry issues the Kbis extract. For a subsidiary of a foreign company, plan for current parent company documents, translated and legalised or apostilled depending on the country, the capital deposit certificate, proof of a registered office, the beneficial ownership filing. A missing document puts the file on hold until it is supplied.
VAT and filing obligations
The entity obtains an intra-EU VAT number and files under its regime, monthly once volumes justify it. Intra-group flows deserve attention: reverse charge on import VAT, intra-EU transactions, recapitulative statements. Then e-invoicing: since 1 September 2026 every VAT-registered business must be able to receive electronic invoices, the issuing obligation applying to large companies and mid-caps from that date, and to SMEs and small businesses from 1 September 2027.
Payroll and your first local hire
The first hire triggers a full chain: the pre-hire declaration before day one, a contract compliant with the applicable collective bargaining agreement (chemicals, metalworking and Syntec weigh heavily in the Lyon area), health and pension scheme affiliations, then the monthly DSN filing. An assignee from head office is a separate question: posting with an A1 certificate, or affiliation to the French system. Settle it before signature, because it drives the real employer cost.
Local taxes and regional specifics
A new entity owes no local business property tax (CFE) in its year of creation, and its base is halved for the first year it is taxed. After that the tax is computed on the rental value of the premises at the rate voted by the municipality: Lyon, Villeurbanne and a Vallée de la Chimie site are not equivalent. An industrial site often falls under classified-installation rules, with accounting effects such as provisions and restoration obligations. Regional support and R&D incentives call for a documented file from year one.
Frequently asked questions — Chartered accountant in Lyon
Answers to questions entrepreneurs in Lyon ask most
Subsidiary, branch or permanent establishment: which one for Lyon?
A subsidiary (SAS or SARL) is a separate French company: it ring-fences group exposure and simplifies local hiring and banking. A branch has no legal personality of its own: registration without share capital, but the foreign company answers directly for the commitments made in France. A permanent establishment is assessed under the applicable tax treaty and can exist with no registered structure: that is the real point to watch.
How do we obtain a French VAT number for our Lyon entity?
The intra-EU VAT number is issued by the business tax office covering the registered office, once registration is complete. A foreign company with no French establishment may also need to register for VAT alone, depending on its transactions. We prepare the application, the filing regime and the online tax account.
Can you run payroll for our first employee in Lyon?
Yes. We handle the pre-hire declaration, the contract under the applicable collective bargaining agreement, mandatory scheme affiliations, payslips and the monthly DSN filing. We also cost the full employer charge before the hire, a figure worth knowing before you set the gross salary.
Can you produce reporting for our parent company?
Yes. We produce monthly or quarterly reporting in your format, with a mapping table between the French and your group chart of accounts, and IFRS or US GAAP adjustments identified line by line. The closing calendar follows the group's, not the other way round.
Do you work in English with our head office?
Yes. Correspondence, memos and reporting packs can be in English, while documents filed with the French authorities and the court registry are drawn up in French. One contact follows your file, so head office does not have to explain its organisation again at every exchange.
How do you handle a Lyon entity from Paris?
The firm is based in Paris and has no Lyon office: the engagement runs entirely remotely, with video calls, e-signature, secure document collection and online bookkeeping your head office can consult. We reply within one to two business days, and meetings are held by video call or at our Paris office.
Let's meet
Whether by video (100% remote) or at the office, we are available to audit your accounting.