Set up a company in France.
The EU's second-largest economy. 25% flat CIT, 15% on the first €42,500 for SMEs. The world's most generous R&D tax credit at 30%. 120+ tax treaties — the largest network on the planet. Station F, French Tech, and the post-Brexit financial relocation winner.
France — the essentials.
Six reasons clients choose France.
The EU's second-largest economy and its most influential single market. World-leading positions in luxury, aerospace, nuclear, automotive, agritech, and tech via Station F and the French Tech ecosystem. The deepest tax-treaty network anywhere. Post-Brexit, the natural EU base for groups serving 68 million consumers directly.
Second-largest economy in the EU
~€2.9 trillion GDP, ~68.4 million consumers, the seventh-largest economy globally. Direct access to 449 million EU consumers via the single market. Strong domestic demand across luxury, automotive, food & beverage, retail, healthcare, and B2B services makes France a destination market in its own right, not just a regional base.
Most generous R&D credit in Europe
The Crédit d'Impôt Recherche (CIR) gives a 30% tax credit on the first €100 million of qualifying R&D spending and 5% above — one of Europe's most generous regimes. Combined with the 10% Patent Box on qualifying IP income (OECD nexus approach), France is a serious choice for innovation-led businesses and IP-holding structures.
120+ tax treaties — the largest network
France has the most extensive double taxation treaty network of any country in the world. Comprehensive agreements with all major economies, every G20 member, and most emerging markets. A genuine advantage for cross-border groups, holding structures, and businesses with operations or income flows across multiple jurisdictions.
Station F & French Tech
Paris hosts Station F — the world's largest startup campus — and the French Tech ecosystem brings together over 17,000 startups across 13 metropolitan areas. Strong VC capital, supportive public funding via Bpifrance, dedicated visas (Talent Passport / French Tech Visa), and serious unicorns: Mistral AI, Doctolib, BlaBlaCar, Back Market.
World-leading luxury, aerospace & nuclear
Home to LVMH, Kering, Hermès, L'Oréal — the global luxury sector's nerve centre. Airbus and Dassault for aerospace. EDF, Framatome, and Orano for civil nuclear (the world's most nuclear-electrified major economy). Renault and Stellantis for automotive. World-class brands, deep technical talent, and supplier networks unmatched outside the US.
One-stop incorporation via the CFE
The Centre de Formalités des Entreprises consolidates company registration, SIREN/SIRET issuance, social security (URSSAF), and tax registration into a single filing window. Combined with online filing via guichet-entreprises.fr / formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr, formation timelines are now genuinely competitive with other major EU jurisdictions.
Choose the right vehicle — six options.
For nearly every international client setting up in France, the answer is the SAS — the most flexible vehicle and the clear favourite of foreign investors and VC-backed businesses. The SARL is the historical workhorse for traditional SMEs. SA is reserved for listed structures or larger groups. Branch where a foreign parent wants direct presence without a separate legal entity.
| Structure | Min. Capital | Liability | Best for | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SAS / SASUSociété par Actions Simplifiée (Unipersonnelle) Most Used |
No statutory minimum Most flexible articles in French corporate law |
Limited to share capital | The default choice for foreign investors, VC-backed startups, holdings, subsidiaries of foreign groups, joint ventures, tech and SaaS, services, and most operating businesses. Share transfer duty just 0.1% (vs 3% on SARL shares). | 2–3 weeks |
SARL / EURLSociété à Responsabilité Limitée (Unipersonnelle) |
€1.18 minimum Symbolic; sensible practice is €1k–€5k |
Limited to share capital | The traditional French SME workhorse. Family businesses, single-owner ventures (EURL), retail, hospitality, professional services. More rigid governance than SAS but more familiar to French banks and counterparties. Share transfer duty 3%. | 2–3 weeks |
SASociété Anonyme |
€37,000 minimum 2 shareholders min (7 if listed); board of directors or supervisory board |
Limited to share capital | Larger businesses, capital-raising structures, IPO-track companies, regulated industries (banking, insurance), Euronext Paris listings. Share transfer duty 0.1%. | 4–6 weeks |
BranchSuccursale — Branch of foreign company |
None | Parent company liable | Foreign companies wanting French presence without separate incorporation. Tax-resident in France on French-source income via permanent establishment. Useful for testing the market or short-term project work, but reduced flexibility on tax treatment. | 3–5 weeks |
Micro-EntrepreneurAuto-Entrepreneur (simplified sole trader) |
None | Personal, unlimited | Solo founders, freelancers, side businesses. Simplified flat-rate social charges and tax (8–25% of turnover depending on activity). Annual turnover ceilings (~€77,700 services, ~€188,700 commerce). Not used by international clients setting up corporate vehicles, but useful context. | 1–2 weeks |
SCS / SNCSociété en Commandite Simple / Société en Nom Collectif |
None statutory | SCS: mixed; SNC: unlimited | SCS: investor / operator structures (general + limited partners). SNC: two or more partners running an active business with full liability. Specialist use cases — family or professional partnerships, certain industries. | 2–4 weeks |
The numbers that matter.
Headline figures every founder, finance director or international operator should know before they incorporate.
From decision to trading entity.
A realistic seven-step path. Most international clients with an SAS are operationally ready within 2–3 weeks. The unified online platform (formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr) replaced the regional CFE network in 2023, simplifying registration. Bank account opening remains the typical gating step for non-EU founders.
Discovery & structure design
Confirm the right vehicle (SAS, SARL, SA, branch), shareholding, directorships, registered office (siège social) location and lease, planned activity (APE/NAF code), and cross-border tax position. SAS vs SARL is the single biggest call for foreign investors and we walk through it explicitly.
Articles of Association (Statuts) & documentation
Drafting Statuts in French, certified English translations for foreign shareholder review, INPI name search to ensure availability, and preparation of supporting documents: shareholder ID, beneficial ownership declaration, registered office attestation, director appointments and acceptance.
Capital deposit
For SAS/SARL, no statutory minimum (SARL is €1.18 symbolic), but sensible practice is €1k–€5k for credibility. SA: €37,000 minimum. Capital deposited into a French bank account or notary trust account before incorporation; certificate of deposit issued.
Publication in JAL (legal announcement journal)
Mandatory legal announcement in a Journal d'Annonces Légales (JAL) authorised in the département of the registered office. Cost typically €150–€200. Confirmation receipt required for the registration filing.
Registration via formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr
Single online filing through the Guichet Unique (operational since 2023), replacing the regional CFE network. Filing routes to the relevant Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce, INSEE for SIREN/SIRET, INPI for the RCS, URSSAF for social security. Fee approximately €40 SAS / €40 SARL plus the JAL cost.
Tax & VAT registration via impots.gouv.fr
Activation of the corporate tax account on the impots.gouv.fr Espace Professionnel. VAT registration is automatic with SIREN/SIRET issuance for most activities — thresholds for collection at €85,000 goods / €37,500 services. Bank account opening for the company typically completed in this window.
URSSAF, beneficial ownership & sector permits
URSSAF registration for social security if hiring (DPAE pre-employment declaration). Beneficial owner (RBE) declaration to INPI. CNIL GDPR registration where personal data processed. Sector-specific licences (regulated industries, professional services, health, finance) handled in parallel.
A single partner. End to end.
You get one senior point of contact at Grant & Graham. Behind that, a vetted local network of expert-comptables, avocats, banking partners, and notaires across Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, and the major regional centres — including specialists in CIR claims, French Tech visa applications, and luxury, aerospace, and tech sector setups.
Structure & tax design
Choosing the right vehicle (SAS vs SARL is the foundational call), shareholding, directorships, registered office location and lease, planned activity coding (APE/NAF), CIR R&D credit eligibility, Patent Box positioning, and cross-border tax structure before a single document is signed.
Statuts & documentation
Drafting Articles of Association (Statuts) in French with English translations for foreign founder review, INPI name search, beneficial ownership declaration (RBE), shareholder identification, and powers of attorney where founders cannot attend in person.
Guichet Unique, RCS & INSEE
Single online filing via formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr (Guichet Unique), RCS registration with the Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce, SIREN/SIRET issuance via INSEE, JAL legal announcement publication, and beneficial owner filing with INPI.
Bank account introductions
Direct introductions to French banks (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, LCL, plus digital options like Qonto, Shine, and Memo Bank). Pre-packaged KYC and source-of-funds documentation to compress timelines for international clients. Coordination of capital deposit certificates.
Accounting, VAT & payroll
Bookkeeping with French expert-comptable (mandatory for tax compliance), monthly/quarterly VAT returns via impots.gouv.fr, payroll with URSSAF social charges (~40–45% employer cost), annual financial statements, Form 2065-SD corporate tax return, quarterly aconto management.
CIR, Bpifrance & French Tech Visa
Coordination of the 30% Crédit d'Impôt Recherche (CIR) including the technical and financial dossier, JEI (Jeune Entreprise Innovante) status applications, Bpifrance grant and funding navigation, and French Tech Visa / Talent Passport applications for non-EU senior hires.
France is the right answer for specific situations.
France is not the lowest-cost EU jurisdiction (high social charges, complex labour law). It is the right call when one of these scenarios applies — and for a substantial set of clients, it's the only call that makes sense.
You're targeting the French consumer market directly
68 million high-spending consumers, the EU's second-largest economy, world-leading luxury and beauty markets, deep retail networks. For consumer brands, food & beverage, fashion, beauty, and any business where French market access is the primary goal, no other EU base makes sense. A French SAS is the credibility marker.
You're R&D heavy and want CIR
The 30% Crédit d'Impôt Recherche on R&D spending up to €100m is one of the most generous regimes globally and cash-refundable for SMEs. For deep-tech, biotech, AI, hardware, fintech, and gaming companies investing significantly in development, France often delivers a better effective tax position than headline-rate competitors.
You're in luxury, aerospace, nuclear, or automotive
France is the global capital of luxury (LVMH, Kering, Hermès, L'Oréal), a top-tier aerospace base (Airbus, Dassault, Safran, Thales), the most nuclear-electrified major economy (EDF, Framatome, Orano), and home to Renault and Stellantis. For these sectors, the supplier networks, talent pools, and ecosystem density are unmatched outside the US.
You're a startup eyeing Station F & French Tech
Station F is the world's largest startup campus. The French Tech ecosystem includes 17,000+ startups, dedicated visa programmes (Talent Passport / French Tech Visa), serious VC capital, and Bpifrance public co-funding. JEI status delivers substantial tax and social charge reductions for innovative young companies. Mistral AI, Doctolib, BlaBlaCar, Back Market all built here.
You need post-Brexit EU substance
Paris was the clear winner of post-Brexit financial relocations: HSBC, JP Morgan, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup all expanded substantially. For UK-headquartered groups needing genuine EU substance for regulated activities, EU passporting, or simply EU customer-facing presence, France delivers serious institutional credibility — not just a brass plate.
You're building cross-border via the treaty network
120+ tax treaties — the largest network of any country worldwide — delivers a structural advantage for groups with operations or income flows across multiple jurisdictions. Particularly strong for francophone Africa, the Middle East, and emerging markets where French treaties often outperform UK, US, or Dutch alternatives.
Get an estimate in 30 seconds.
Three quick questions. We will give you a realistic cost range and timeline for your situation, and route the answers straight into a fixed-price quote request.
The questions we get asked most.
SAS or SARL — which is right for my business?
How long does it actually take to set up a French company?
How does the Crédit d'Impôt Recherche (CIR) actually work?
What's the deal with the CEBGE exceptional surtax?
Can foreign nationals own and direct a French company?
What about French social charges and labour law — should I worry?
France vs Germany vs Spain.
The three largest EU economies, frequently weighed up together by groups choosing a Continental European base. Each has a distinct strategic profile.
| France | Germany | Spain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Vehicle | SASSARL traditional, SA for listed | GmbHUG for low capital, AG for listed | SLSA for larger structures |
| Min. Share Capital | No minimum (SAS)SARL: €1.18 symbolic; SA: €37,000 | €25,000 (GmbH)UG: €1; AG: €50,000 | €3,000 (SL)SA: €60,000 (25% paid up) |
| Corporate Tax | 25%15% on first €42,500 for SMEs | ~30%15% CIT + ~15% trade tax (varies by city) | 25%15% reduced for new co. for 2 years |
| VAT | 20%10% / 5.5% / 2.1% reduced | 19%7% reduced | 21%10% / 4% reduced |
| R&D Incentive | 30% CIR (cash refundable for SMEs) | 25% Forschungszulage creditUp to €2.5m base, 35% for SMEs | 25-42% R&D creditPlus 17% on technological innovation |
| Standout Feature | 120+ tax treaties (largest worldwide) + Station F + luxury/aerospace | Largest EU economy (~€4.5tn) + industrial depth | Cost-competitive Iberian base + LatAm gateway |
| Best Fit | Luxury, aerospace, R&D-heavy, French Tech, post-Brexit EU substance | Industrial, automotive, B2B, manufacturing, DACH targeting | Consumer brands, tourism, renewables, Iberia + LatAm corridor |
| Watch Out For | High social charges (~40-45%)Stronger employee protections; complex labour law | Trade tax varies by municipalityHigh admin burden; notarisation everywhere | Slower bureaucracy outside Madrid/BarcelonaHigh social charges; regional variation |
France is one of 100+ markets we cover.
If France is not the right answer for your situation, here are the markets clients most often consider alongside it.
Germany
Europe's largest economy (~€4.5tn). ~30% combined CIT and trade tax. The right base for industrial, automotive, B2B, and manufacturing businesses targeting the DACH market or supplying European industry directly.
Set up in DE →Spain
EU + Eurozone. 25% CIT (15% reduced for new companies). The natural Iberian base — cost-competitive vs France and Germany, gateway to Latin America, and strong consumer, tourism, and renewables sectors.
Set up in ES →Italy
EU + Eurozone, world's 8th-largest economy. 24% IRES + 3.9% IRAP. Strong design, fashion, food & beverage, machinery, automotive (Ferrari, Stellantis Italy). Patent Box at competitive rates.
Set up in IT →Belgium
EU + NATO heart of Europe. 25% CIT (20% SME). Innovation Income Deduction effective rate ~3.75% on qualifying IP. Multilingual workforce. Strong for EU regulatory presence and IP-led businesses.
Set up in BE →Netherlands
EU + Eurozone, holding-company classic. 19%/25.8% CIT. Strong treaty network, English-friendly, the BV is fast to incorporate. The right answer for EU IP-holding and operating-co structures.
Set up in NL →United Kingdom
Common-law jurisdiction, fast incorporation, English-language by default. 25% CIT (19% small profits). Strong for trading, group HQ, and global services. Post-Brexit, no longer EU access — choose deliberately.
Set up in UK →Ready to set up in France?
Tell us what you are trying to build — a French SAS, an R&D-heavy operation claiming CIR, a luxury or aerospace venture, a Station F-bound startup, a post-Brexit EU substance play, or a holding structure tapping the world's largest treaty network — and we will come back inside 48 hours with a fixed-price quote and timeline. No pressure to commit — just a clear answer from a senior adviser.