France vs United States
Corporate Tax Comparison
Time of Update: France: 4/02/2026 / United States: 4/04/2026
Compare France and United States corporate tax rates, filing due dates, withholding tax, VAT, capital gains tax, and effective tax metrics for cross-border company planning.
France vs United States Corporate Tax Comparison
Basic Corporate Tax Comparison
Corporate Income Tax (CIT)
France
United States
General CIT Rate:
Standard rate: 25%; qualifying small corporations may benefit from 15% on the first EUR 42,500 of taxable profits.
General CIT Rate:
Federal corporate income tax: 21%. State CIT ranges from 1% to 10% (although some states do not impose CIT) and is deductible from the federal CIT.
CIT Return Due Date:
About the fiscal year ending on December 31st, until the end of May of the following year.
CIT Return Due Date:
1. April 15th (Federal income tax);
2. Income tax is usually due on the same date as federal income tax, but there are a few cases where the dates are different.
2. Income tax is usually due on the same date as federal income tax, but there are a few cases where the dates are different.
CIT Payment Due Date:
About the fiscal year ending on December 31 and May 15 of the following year.
CIT Payment Due Date:
As of the 15th day of the 12th month of the tax year.
CIT Estimated Payment Due Date:
By way of installment payments in four installments (i.e., for the fiscal year ending on December 31, must be submitted and paid on March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15).
CIT Estimated Payment Due Date:
Throughout the year, four equal instalments of estimated tax should be paid on the 15th day of the fourth, sixth, and ninth months of the tax year, and on the 15th day of the first month of the following year (April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15).
Withholding Tax (WHT)
France
United States
Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
N/A
Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
0/10/3
None-Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
25/0/25
None-Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
30/30/30
Value-Added Tax (VAT)
Capital Gain Tax (CGT)
France
United States
General Capital Gain Tax Rate:
Capital gains are constrained by the normal corporate income tax rate.
General Capital Gain Tax Rate:
21% (aligned with the federal CIT rate for corporations)
Effective Tax Rate (ETR)
France
United States
Composite Effective Average Tax Rate:
23.66
Composite Effective Average Tax Rate:
22.69
Composite Effective Marginal Tax Rate:
15.38
Composite Effective Marginal Tax Rate:
7.03
