VAT registration in France
We handle VAT registration, returns and ongoing compliance in France for UAE, GCC and other overseas businesses selling, storing or importing goods there, including our own rice, tea, coffee and spice shipments.
- Standard rate20%
- Reduced rate5.5%
- CurrencyEUR
Start your France VAT registration
Tell us about your sales or imports. A specialist replies within one business day.
When you need to register in France
There is generally no VAT registration threshold for non-established businesses in France. Registration is normally required from the first taxable supply, import or stock held there, regardless of turnover.
Registration is generally required before you make your first taxable supply, import goods, or hold stock in France, whichever comes first. We check your specific activity before you commit to a launch date.
How France VAT registration works
The steps are broadly the same everywhere, though the forms, timeline and language differ.
Assess
We confirm whether you need to register, and whether a fiscal representative is required.
Prepare
We gather your incorporation documents, trade licence and activity details for Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP).
Submit
We file the registration application and handle follow-up questions from the tax office.
File
Once registered, we prepare and file your ongoing VAT returns.
What you need to know
- Tax authority
- Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) administers VAT registration and returns in France.
- Fiscal representative
- Non-EU businesses generally need to appoint a fiscal representative established in France to register and file VAT there. We arrange this as part of the registration.
- Filing frequency
- Quarterly or monthly VAT returns, depending on turnover. Exact frequency can depend on your turnover and registration type.
- One-Stop Shop (OSS)
- If you sell goods to consumers across the EU, the Union or Import One-Stop Shop scheme can let you report several countries through a single return instead of registering in each one separately. We advise whether OSS suits your sales pattern.
VAT thresholds, rates and fiscal representative rules change and can depend on your product, sector and where you hold stock. We confirm the current position for your business before you register.
VAT and our own commodity trade
We register for VAT in France as part of supplying rice, tea, coffee and spices there, and we offer the same registration and filing service to other overseas businesses trading into France.
- Import VAT
- Goods entering France from outside the EU are generally subject to import VAT at the border, alongside any customs duty.
- Records
- Invoices, shipping documents and VAT returns are kept in a form that stands up to a tax office review.
- Ongoing filing
- We continue filing your returns after registration, so nothing is missed once the business is live.
Questions about France VAT
Do I need a local company to register for VAT in France?
Not usually. A non-resident business can typically register directly, or through a fiscal representative where France requires one, without setting up a local company.
How long does France VAT registration take?
Timelines vary by country and how complete your documents are. We give you a realistic estimate once we have reviewed your paperwork.
Can you also handle registration in other EU countries?
Yes. We register and file VAT across the EU and the UK, and can coordinate registrations in several countries at once if you are launching in more than one market.
How quickly will I hear back?
We reply to every enquiry within one business day.
Start your France VAT registration
Our UAE office is in RAKEZ, Ras Al Khaimah. We also have offices in Bengaluru, London and Central Hong Kong.
Send an enquiry
Tell us about your sales, imports or stock in France so we can scope the registration.