Bookkeeper in Paris — Bilingual Bookkeeping Services
Bookkeeper in Paris for expats, foreign founders and French subsidiaries: monthly bookkeeping, bank reconciliations, VAT and reporting in English. Licensed French firm.
Bookkeeper in Paris — bilingual bookkeeping services#
Looking for a bookkeeper in Paris who can keep your books to French standards while delivering clean monthly reporting in English? Hayot Expertise is a licensed French expert-comptable firm based at 58 rue de Monceau (75008 Paris), providing monthly bookkeeping, bank reconciliations, VAT filings and management reporting for expats, foreign founders, international freelancers and French subsidiaries of foreign groups.
The firm is led by Samuel Hayot, licensed expert-comptable and commissaire aux comptes registered with the Ordre des experts-comptables de Paris Île-de-France. Every deliverable — general ledger, trial balance, VAT return, management report — is available in English and French. Contact us for a 24-hour scoping reply.
Bookkeeper vs expert-comptable in France: unlike the US or UK, the standalone bookkeeper role is not a regulated profession in France. As soon as a French company must produce annual accounts or a tax package (liasse fiscale 2050), the bookkeeping must be supervised by a licensed expert-comptable. Working with a regulated firm rather than an unlicensed freelancer secures your year-end close and the legal sign-off on your French filings.
What our bookkeeping engagement covers#
Our bookkeeping service runs the full monthly cycle of a French company:
- Data entry for sales invoices, supplier invoices, expense reports and bank transactions;
- Monthly bank reconciliations (multi-bank and multi-currency);
- Customer and supplier ledger matching (lettrage);
- VAT: preparation and e-filing of the monthly CA3 or annual CA12 return;
- Fixed asset register and depreciation schedules;
- Account substantiation for sensitive balances (cash, shareholder current accounts, prepaid expenses);
- Year-end close file for the signing expert-comptable;
- Monthly management reporting: P&L, aged balance, cash position.
For broader engagements (account review, statutory accounts, tax package), see our bookkeeping & account review service in Paris.
Who we work with#
We act as a Paris bookkeeper for:
- Expats and foreign residents running a French activity (auto-entrepreneur, EURL, SASU) who want English-language deliverables;
- Foreign founders launching a French company before hiring an internal finance team;
- International freelancers (consultants, developers, creatives) invoicing in France and outside the EU;
- French subsidiaries of foreign groups needing local PCG bookkeeping alongside an IFRS or US GAAP group package;
- Early-stage startups outsourcing the books before their first finance hire.
If you do not yet have a French entity, our French CPA service for foreign companies handles the setup before bookkeeping begins.
How the engagement runs#
1. Scoping and file takeover#
We take over your trial balance, general ledger and supporting documents for the relevant period, identify entries that need cleanup, and align your chart of accounts with French GAAP (PCG).
2. Bank connections and tools#
We deploy Pennylane (or keep your existing tool if compatible) with automatic bank feeds, Dext for receipt capture and a shared document space.
3. Monthly cycle#
Document capture within 48 hours of receipt, month-end reconciliations, VAT filing, and a monthly management report delivered in English or French.
4. Year-end close#
Close file preparation, year-end adjustments, account substantiation and handover to the signing expert-comptable for statutory accounts and the tax package.
How much does a bookkeeper in Paris cost?#
Bookkeeping fees depend on transaction volume, number of bank accounts and VAT regime. Indicative monthly ranges (excluding VAT):
| Profile | Monthly volume | Indicative fees |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-entrepreneur / simple BNC freelancer | < 30 entries | €150–€250 |
| EURL / SASU without payroll | 30–80 entries | €300–€500 |
| SAS with 1–3 employees and monthly VAT | 80–200 entries | €500–€900 |
| Active French subsidiary | 200–500 entries | €900–€1,800 |
A firm quote is issued after a free perimeter review.
Why Hayot Expertise#
- Regulated firm: tax package and annual accounts signed by a licensed expert-comptable, mandatory professional indemnity insurance.
- Native bilingual production: ledger, trial balance, VAT and reporting delivered in English and French — not translated after the fact.
- Modern stack: Pennylane, Dext and Silae (payroll) integrated; real-time dashboard shared with you.
- Fixed monthly fees: no surprise hourly billing, written engagement letter.
- Paris 8, remote-friendly: office at 58 rue de Monceau, fully remote support available across France.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a bookkeeper and an expert-comptable in France?+
A bookkeeper handles day-to-day data entry, reconciliations and ledger matching. In France, the expert-comptable is the only regulated profession authorized to prepare statutory accounts, sign the tax package and certify the books. An independent bookkeeper cannot perform that role. Working with a licensed firm gives you the operational flexibility of a bookkeeper plus the regulatory cover of a registered cabinet.
Can you take over books kept by another provider?+
Taking over a file kept by another firm or a freelance bookkeeper is a routine engagement: trial balance recovery, open-account review, journal cleanup and migration to Pennylane where useful.
Do you work with QuickBooks, Xero or Pennylane?+
Our reference platform is Pennylane, which covers French compliance requirements (FEC export, EDI-VAT, legal archiving). We also integrate data from QuickBooks, Xero or NetSuite when the parent group already uses them, building a bridge to the French statutory books.
How often do we receive reporting?+
Standard reporting is monthly (P&L, aged balance, cash) with a 30-minute review call each month. For subsidiaries and fundraising-stage startups, we move to bi-weekly or weekly cadence.
Can you handle payroll alongside bookkeeping?+
Payroll can be added through our dedicated French payroll service: DPAE registrations, payslips, monthly DSN filings and onboarding/offboarding paperwork.
Do you support multi-currency bookkeeping?+
Multi-currency bookkeeping (USD, GBP, EUR and others) with FX gain/loss treatment is part of the engagement, along with reconciliation to the parent group's IFRS or US GAAP package where required.
Start working with a bookkeeper in Paris#
To outsource your bookkeeping to a bilingual firm registered with the French Ordre, contact us — reply within 24 hours. Hayot Expertise — 58 rue de Monceau, 75008 Paris.
See also: English speaking accountant in Paris | French CPA for foreign subsidiaries | Bookkeeping & account review.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a bookkeeper and an expert-comptable in France?
Can you take over books kept by another provider?
Do you work with QuickBooks, Xero or Pennylane?
How much does a bookkeeper in Paris cost?
Can deliverables be provided in English?
Need expert support?
Book a discovery meeting at our office
Article written by Samuel Hayot
Chartered Accountant, registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Regulated French accounting and audit firm based in Paris 8, built to support companies across France with a digital and decision-oriented approach.
A regulated French firm built for national business demand
This page keeps the Paris 8 anchor while clearly speaking to companies across France that want a more direct, digital and decision-oriented accounting partner.
Regulated firm
Samuel Hayot is a French chartered accountant and statutory auditor registered with the Paris professional bodies.
National reach
The firm is based in Paris 8 and operates with a delivery model designed for businesses located across France.
Modern stack
Pennylane, Dext, Silae and an automation-first setup built for visibility and speed.
Direct contact
Visible phone number, simple contact path, fast engagement letter and tighter qualification of the mandate.