France

In France, the appointment of a statutory auditor (Commissaire aux comptes) is legally required for companies above a certain size. For SAS, SARL and SA companies, a statutory audit is generally mandatory when two of the following three thresholds are exceeded: total assets of €5 million, net turnover of €10 million, or an average of 50 employees.

Below these thresholds, a statutory auditor may be appointed on a voluntary basis. In addition, shareholders may, under certain conditions, request the appointment of a statutory auditor or apply to the court for such an appointment.

Specific rules apply to companies that are part of a group. A controlled company is therefore generally required to appoint a statutory auditor if it exceeds two of the following three thresholds: total assets of €2.5 million, net turnover of €5 million, or 25 employees.

An important exception applies in particular where the parent company is legally required to prepare and publish consolidated financial statements. In this case, the specific audit requirement based on the reduced thresholds generally does not apply.

However, the subsidiary remains subject to the statutory audit requirement if it itself exceeds the general thresholds of €5 million in total assets, €10 million in net turnover and 50 employees, or if another legal provision requires the appointment of a statutory auditor.

In France, the statutory auditor is appointed for a term of six years.

Our partner firm TWF provides both statutory and voluntary audits of annual financial statements, as well as business valuations and sustainability assurance services. We also hold the new certification required to carry out sustainability assurance engagements.

We can support you from the very beginning when setting up a new business structure: from choosing the most appropriate legal form (for example, an SAS, SARL or branch office), through the incorporation and registration of the company with the Commercial Register, to ongoing bookkeeping, the preparation (or review) of annual financial statements, payroll management, ongoing tax advice, administrative support and corporate secretarial services.

Where necessary, we can also coordinate with local lawyers, banks and public authorities and ensure that your German-speaking parent company is kept fully and accurately informed at all times, in the language of your choice.

Our office is located in the heart of Paris, in the 4th arrondissement (23, Rue du Renard, 75004 Paris), near the Centre Pompidou.

We serve clients throughout France as well as clients in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with an activity in France. Thanks to modern communication tools, in-person meetings are not always necessary – many of our clients hold their meetings by video conference.

The introduction of electronic invoicing in France creates new technical and organisational challenges, particularly for international groups with French subsidiaries.

From 1 September 2026, all companies concerned must in principle be able to receive electronic invoices. From the same date, large companies and mid-sized companies (ETIs) will also be subject to electronic invoicing and e-reporting obligations; for SMEs and micro-enterprises, these obligations will in principle only apply from 1 September 2027.

We support you throughout the implementation of the reform in France, in particular with:

• assessing which e-invoicing and e-reporting obligations apply to your company;
• selecting a suitable approved platform (Plateforme agréée / PA) and supporting you with its implementation;
• setting up and checking invoice addressing and routing data in the French e-invoicing directory;
• analysing your existing invoicing and accounting processes;
• supporting your IT department with the integration of your ERP and accounting systems;
• reviewing the required invoice formats and mandatory information;
• setting up processes for e-invoicing, e-reporting and payment data;
• carrying out tests before go-live;
• training and supporting your French and German teams.

Platforms approved by the French authorities will play a central role in the transmission and receipt of electronic invoices and the relevant e-reporting data.

Our key advantage: we do not treat the reform as an isolated IT project. Instead, we connect the French tax and accounting requirements with the processes of your German parent company. This enables us to work together with your finance department and your IT or ERP contacts to develop a solution that complies with French regulations while also meeting your group’s internal requirements.

A chartered accountant and a tax lawyer have complementary expertise in tax matters.

A chartered accountant supports your company in its day-to-day operations and generally also handles the bookkeeping and preparation of annual financial statements. Their role typically includes preparing tax returns, ensuring the correct application of ongoing tax rules, providing tax advice related to the company’s activities, and supporting clients during tax audits.

A tax lawyer is primarily a specialist in tax law. Their involvement is particularly appropriate where an in-depth legal analysis is required, for example in complex restructurings, exceptional transactions, specific tax issues or disputes with the tax authorities. They may also represent and defend clients before the courts.

In practice, the two professions regularly work closely together in France.

As a chartered accountant, ABTF is your main point of contact for the ongoing accounting and tax compliance of your company, including the preparation and filing of tax returns. A tax lawyer is brought in as a complementary advisor where specific legal or litigation expertise is required.

Previous knowledge of French law is not a requirement for joining us.

Employees coming from Germany benefit from a structured and comprehensive onboarding programme at ABTF / TWF, enabling them to become familiar with the specific features of French tax, accounting and legal matters.

Training is highly practical and takes place through work on real client engagements, following a “Learning by Doing” approach, with close support from experienced colleagues.

We also provide internal and external training. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the differences between the German and French systems.

This enables our employees to gradually build up a solid knowledge of French law and to take on increasing responsibility for our German-French client engagements.