Case Study : VAT Registration in France for a Non-EU Company
- ASC Consuluting
- May 27
- 2 min read
Client Profile
An Australian entrepreneur managing sourcing operations through Hong Kong and Mainland China, now looking to sell directly to the European market. France was selected as the entry point into the EU due to logistics convenience and market demand.
Overview of the Full Expansion Strategy
This step marks the third phase in a global expansion journey. The full roadmap includes:
Company formation in Hong Kong
WFOE creation in Mainland China
VAT registration in France
Integrated accounting across jurisdictions
Opening a corporate bank account in China
Implementation of Monday.com as a digital backbone
Sourcing optimization and supply chain management
Each phase is documented to illustrate ASC Consulting’s end-to-end support across markets and compliance layers.
Context & Objectives
The client needed:
A French VAT number to sell goods directly to EU customers
The ability to act as importer of record and declare goods at French customs
A structure to store, distribute, and invoice from within the EU
Compliance with EU tax legislation, including support for OSS and DDP models
Full visibility over VAT filings and documentation, with remote handling
Our Intervention – Eurofiscalis APAC for his VAT Registration in France
Eligibility Analysis: Assessed and confirmed VAT registration in France feasibility for a non-EU entity
Fiscal Representation: Appointed our local representative to meet French legal requirements
Registration Process: Handled all filings with the French tax authorities and obtained the VAT number within the expected 4–6 weeks
Import Framework: Supported the setup of EORI number, validated the import flow from China, and ensured DDP readiness
Filing Automation: Connected VAT flows to the client’s accounting system (Xero) and internal project manager (Monday.com)
Client Enablement: Designed a visual dashboard to track monthly declarations and invoice reports
Results
The client received a fully functional French VAT number and began importing under DDP terms just weeks later.
This structure allowed them to hold ownership of goods until the moment of entry into France, making them legally recognized as the importer of record.
They now store and deliver goods locally, which makes them far more attractive to European clients expecting quick and tax-inclusive pricing.
The DDP setup also enabled better control over total landed costs, improving transparency and profitability.
VAT declarations are filed monthly with minimal effort thanks to automated workflows and live dashboards.
The client is now able to scale easily into other EU countries and is already planning to activate OSS for cross-border B2C sales.
Suggested Next Steps
Expand VAT registration to Germany and Italy
Activate OSS scheme for pan-European ecommerce
Automate cost tracking and VAT forecasting per country
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