French CPA in Nantes for foreign-owned companies
French bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and group reporting for foreign companies operating in the Nantes area and along the Loire estuary. A Paris-based firm, working remotely and in English with your head office.
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 Nantes?
A foreign company opening a subsidiary or a branch in Nantes has to keep French statutory accounts, in euros, under the French chart of accounts, and file them in France. That is the work we take on: registration, bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll for local staff, annual accounts and the corporate tax return, then periodic reporting to the parent company in English. The practice is based in Paris and this page extends our French CPA in Paris for foreign companies service. Everything runs remotely, with one point of contact in English and a 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 a subsidiary or branch in the Nantes area
The first decision is structural rather than accounting: branch, SAS or SARL subsidiary, or a permanent establishment under the applicable tax treaty. Each route carries different corporate tax, VAT and filing consequences, and unwinding the choice later is expensive. We work it through with you, then run the formalities: corporate documents prepared with your legal counsel, the capital deposit, registration with the commercial court registry covering the registered office (Nantes or Saint-Nazaire), the French VAT number, and an EORI number where goods cross the border.
French GAAP bookkeeping and group reporting (IFRS, US GAAP)
A French subsidiary's accounts serve two audiences: the tax authorities and the parent company. We keep the books under the French chart of accounts, file VAT returns and the annual corporate tax package, then build the pack your group expects: a trial balance mapped to your group chart of accounts, a reconciliation between the French statutory result and your consolidation standards (IFRS or US GAAP), with commentary in English. Intra-group recharges are documented as they arise, rather than rebuilt two years later.
Our services in Nantes
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 Nantes
Seen from a foreign head office, the Nantes area combines export-driven industry along the Loire estuary (aerospace, shipbuilding), a dense software cluster on the Île de Nantes, and a regional food-processing and logistics base. That mix shapes the accounting file: an industrial site towards Montoir or Saint-Nazaire raises subcontracting, import VAT and posted-worker questions, while a software subsidiary at Euronantes raises revenue recognition, transfer pricing and senior-staff payroll questions instead.
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 Nantes: four steps that matter
Everything you need to know about doing business in Nantes
Choose the structure, file with the right registry
The application goes through the national one-stop formalities portal, but the file is reviewed by the commercial court registry covering your registered office: Nantes for the city and its suburbs, Saint-Nazaire for the estuary. The timetable turns on the parent company documents (registry extract, board decision, identity of directors and beneficial owner), often translated and sometimes apostilled.
VAT, EU flows and customs
A French VAT number does not follow automatically from company registration: it depends on the transactions you actually carry out in France. Still to settle once it is issued: the filing frequency, import VAT (reverse-charged on the French return since 2022), the recapitulative statement due on intra-EU supplies, the EMEBI statistical survey if customs include your company in the sample, and the EORI number. We map all of it against your real flows before the first invoice.
First hire and payroll set-up
French employer cost regularly surprises a foreign head office: contributions sit on top of gross salary, and the applicable collective bargaining agreement sets minimum pay and job classification. Before the first payslip: the DPAE declaration to URSSAF, a written contract in French, enrolment with the supplementary pension, death-and-disability and health cover schemes, then monthly DSN filings. We cost the full package before the offer goes out.
Regional schemes and points to check
Location grants and innovation schemes run by the Pays de la Loire region and Nantes Métropole change from year to year: check the conditions at the date of your project rather than copying an earlier file. The same caution applies to the research tax credit and young innovative company status, where the rules have moved several times and eligibility turns on the work actually carried out and where it is done.
Frequently asked questions — Chartered accountant in Nantes
Answers to questions entrepreneurs in Nantes ask most
How long does it take to register a French subsidiary in Nantes?
The registry only reviews a complete file, so most of the time goes into preparing the parent company documents, often translated and sometimes apostilled. We list them at the first exchange.
Do we need a French VAT number if the parent company invoices French customers directly?
Often yes, but not always: it depends on where the supplies are deemed to take place, the customer's status, and whether you have a permanent establishment in France. Reverse charge by a taxable customer can remove the registration requirement.
What does hiring the first employee for a Nantes subsidiary involve?
Before the start date: the DPAE declaration to URSSAF, a written contract in French, the applicable collective agreement, and enrolment with the supplementary pension, death-and-disability and health cover schemes. Then monthly payslips and DSN filings, which we run.
Can you handle our Nantes entity remotely from Paris?
Yes. Our offices are in Paris 8th and Noisy-le-Sec, and the engagement runs entirely remotely: video calls, electronic signature, document upload to a secure workspace, online access to your accounts.
Can we deal with your firm in English?
Yes. Exchanges with your finance team, summary notes and the reporting pack are in English. Documents filed with the French authorities stay in French, and we walk your head office through what they say.
How do the French statutory accounts connect to group reporting?
The statutory accounts are kept under the French chart of accounts and feed the corporate tax return. From there we produce the adjustments to your IFRS or US GAAP group standards, documenting each difference.
Let's meet
Whether by video (100% remote) or at the office, we are available to audit your accounting.