Transatlantic expansion.
Changing continents changes the data regime, the entity to set up, the tax
treatment, the payment rails and sometimes the working language.
We
are based in Paris and in Montréal, and work under both regimes
daily, in both directions.
Entering the European market
The European Union is the most regulated digital market in the world. A company that arrives with its file already built starts ahead of its competitors.
GDPR and representative
The GDPR applies as soon as European residents are served. A company established outside the Union usually has to appoint a representative (Article 27) and document its legal bases, its transfers and its records.
AI Act
The regulation also reaches providers established outside the Union whose systems are used within it. The classification and the obligations should be known before entering the market.
DSA and online services
Platforms, marketplaces, content hosting: points of contact, notice handling, transparency. The obligations depend on how the service is qualified, which deserves a written analysis.
VAT: OSS and IOSS
Digital sales and goods into the Union: registrations, rates per country, invoicing. The configuration has to be in place from the first order.
Digital products: CRA
The Cyber Resilience Act imposes security requirements, vulnerability handling and documentation on products with digital elements. Handled at the design stage, it costs far less.
ePrivacy and consent
Cookies, direct marketing, telemetry: the European consent regime is the first checkpoint your users see, and the first source of complaints.
Setting up in North America
For a French-speaking company, Québec opens a complete North American market that operates in French, with a data protection regime close to the GDPR.
Entity and registries
Québec or federal incorporation, enterprise register, business names, head office and domiciliation. The vehicle is chosen according to the activity, the shareholders and the intended tax treatment.
Data: Law 25 and PIPEDA
A GDPR baseline adapts well to the Québec and federal regimes, provided the differences are handled: transfer assessments, incident handling, consent, data residency.
Sales taxes
GST, QST, provincial taxes, and US tax exposure once you sell into the United States. Registration, collection and invoicing must be configured before the first sale.
North American payments
Local acquirers and providers, Canadian and US currencies, descriptors, checkout flow: the approval file is prepared to local requirements.
Language: Law 96
The Charter of the French language governs commerce in Québec, from interfaces to contracts, trademarks and signage. The subject is handled at the design stage.
Hosting and operations
Data residency, latency, North American processors: the infrastructure follows the chosen regime, with the corresponding documentation.
The same path, in both directions
An expansion is handled like the rest of our work, milestone by milestone and in writing.
Map
The list of regimes that actually apply to your business on the target market.
Structure
Entity, contracts, data and money flows. The position is chosen on documents, with written trade-offs; the local professionals, notary, lawyer, accountant, start from a ready file.
Implement
Systems, flows, documents and registrations: the structure becomes operational and is tested in real conditions.
Prove
Records, evidence and procedures are ready for the local partners: banks, clients, auditors.
Pricing. The engagement is covered by a firm proposal, established after a fixed-price written preliminary assessment (CA$2,200 (plus taxes), delivered within five business days, credited against the engagement).
Describe your expansion project
Your business and the target market, in a few lines. The preliminary assessment establishes the applicable regimes and the order of operations.