
The balance sheet in French standards translated into English

In respect to our guide dedicated to profit and loss account translated into English, to make it easier for English-speaking managers to read company’s accounting documents, we wanted to complete this information with this article with a balance sheet presented to French accounting standards translated into English.
ACTIVE BALANCE SHEET
Year N |
Year N-1 |
||||
Wording in French |
Wording in English |
Gross |
Depreciation and provision |
Net |
|
CAPITAL SOUSCRIT NON APPELE | SUBSCRIBED CAPITAL UNCALLED | ||||
ACTIF IMMOBILISE | FIXED ASSET | ||||
Immobilisations incorporelles | Intangible fixed assets | ||||
frais d’établissement | Establishment costs | ||||
Frais de recherche et développement | Research and development costs | ||||
Concessions, brevets, licences, marques, procédés, logiciels | Concessions, patents, licences, trade marks, processes, software, rights and similar assets | ||||
Fonds commercial (1) | Goodwill (1) | ||||
Autres | Other | ||||
Immobilisations incorporelles en cours | Intangible fixed assets in progress | ||||
Avances et acomptes | Payments on account | ||||
Immobilisations corporelles | Tangible fixed assets | ||||
Terrains | Land | ||||
Constructions | Constructions | ||||
Agencement des constructions | Infrastructure development | ||||
Matériel d’outillage | Technical installations, plant and machinery, equipment and fixtures | ||||
Agencements, installations | Fixtures and fittings for plant and machinery, equipment and fixtures | ||||
Matériel de transport | Transport equipment | ||||
Matériel de bureau informatique | Office and computing equipment | ||||
Mobilier | Furnishings | ||||
Immobilisation corporelles en cours | Tangible fixed assets in progress | ||||
Avances d’acomptes | Payments on account on orders for tangible fixed assets | ||||
Immobilisations financières (2) | Participating interests and related debts receivable (2) | ||||
Participations | Long-term equity interests | ||||
Créances rattachées à des participations | Debts receivable related to participating interests | ||||
Autres titres immobilisés | Other financial fixed assets | ||||
Prêts-cautions | Loans | ||||
Autres | Other loans | ||||
TOTAL I |
TOTAL I |
||||
ACTIF CIRCULANT | CURRENT ASSETS | ||||
STOCK ET EN-COURS | STOCKS AND WORK IN PROGRESS | ||||
Matières premières | Raw materials (and supplies) | ||||
En-cours de production | Work in progress | ||||
Produits intermédiaires et finis | Semi-finished and finished products | ||||
Marchandises | Stock of goods for resale | ||||
Avances et acomptes versés sur commandes | Payments on account on orders | ||||
Créances d’exploitation (3) | Debts receivables (3) | ||||
Créances clients | Trade debtors and related accounts | ||||
Autres | Other | ||||
Capital souscrit appelé non versé | Subscribed capital – called called but not paid | ||||
Valeurs mobilières de placement | Short-term investment securities | ||||
Actions propres | Own shares | ||||
Autres titres | Other securities | ||||
Instruments de trésorerie | Short-term financial instruments | ||||
Disponibilités | Liquid assets | ||||
Charges constatées d’avance (3) | Prepayments (3) | ||||
TOTAL II |
TOTAL II |
||||
Charges à répartir sur plusieurs exercices (III) | Deferred charges (III) | ||||
Primes de remboursement des emprunts (IV) | Loan redemption premiums (IV) | ||||
Ecarts de conversion actif (V) | Realisable exchange losses (V) | ||||
GENERAL AMOUNT (I+II+III+IV+V) |
OVERALL TOTAL (I +II + III + IV + V) |
||||
(1) Dont droit au bail | (1) Of which lease premium | ||||
(2) Dont à moins d’un an | (2) Of which due within one year (gross) | ||||
(3) Dont à plus d’un an | (3) Of which due after one year (gross) |
PASSIVE BALANCE SHEET
Wording in French | Wording in English | Year N | Year N-1 |
CAPITAUX PROPRES | CAPITAL AND RESERVES | ||
Capital | Capital | ||
Primes d’émission, de fusion, d’apport | Premiums on shares issued, mergers, contributions … | ||
Ecart de réévaluation | Revaluation reserve | ||
Ecart d’équivalence | Equity accounted reserve | ||
RESERVES | RESERVES | ||
Réserve légale | Legal reserve | ||
Réserves statutaires | Statutory or contractual reserves | ||
Réserves réglementées | Tax-Regulated Reserves | ||
Autres | Other | ||
REPORT A NOUVEAU | Profit or loss carried forward | ||
Résultat de l’exercice | Profit or loss for the financial year | ||
Subventions d’investissement | Investment grants | ||
Provisions réglementées | Tax-regulated provisions | ||
TOTAL I | TOTAL I | ||
PROVISIONS POUR RISQUES ET CHARGES | Provisions for liabilities and charges | ||
Provisions pour risques | Provisions for liabilities | ||
Provisions pour charges | Provisions for charges | ||
TOTAL II | TOTAL II | ||
DETTES (1) | DEBTS PAYABLE (1) | ||
DETTES FINANCIERES | FINANCIAL DEBTS | ||
Emprunts obligataires convertibles | Convertible debenture loans | ||
Autres emprunts obligataires | Other debenture loans | ||
Emprunts et dettes auprès d’établissements de crédits (2) | Loans and debts payable to credit institutions (2) | ||
Emprunts et dettes financières diverses (3) | Loans and sundry financial debts payable (3) | ||
Avances et acomptes reçues sur commandes en cours | Payments on account received on orders in progress | ||
DETTES D’EXPLOITATION | OPERATING LIABILITIES | ||
Dettes fournisseurs et comptes rattachés (f) | Trade creditors and related accounts | ||
Dettes fiscales et sociales | Tax and social security debts payable | ||
Autres | Other debts payable | ||
DETTTES DIVERSES | OTHER LIABILITIES | ||
Dettes sur immobilisations et comptes rattachés | Creditors for fixed assets and related accounts | ||
Dettes fiscales (impôts sur bénéfices) | Tax (Income taxes) | ||
Autres | Others debts payable | ||
Instruments de trésorerie | Short-term financial instruments | ||
Produits constatés d’avance (1) | Deferred income (1) | ||
TOTAL III | TOTAL III | ||
Ecarts de conversion passif (IV) | Realisable exchange gains (IV) | ||
TOTAL GENERAL (I+II+III+IV) | TOTAL (I+II+III+IV) | ||
(1) Dont à plus d’un an | (1) Of which due after more than one year | ||
Dont à moins d’un an | Of which due within one year | ||
(2) Dont concours bancaires courants et soldes créditeurs de banques | (2) Of which current bank advances and credit balances owing to banks | ||
(3) Dont emprunts participatifs | (3) Of which participating loans |
As for the profit and loss account, a simple reading alone is not enough to interpret the results of a company.
After analyzing the accounts in the balance sheet, it is important to observe the overall structure of the balance sheet and to extract characteristic ratios.
All this can of course be done by an accountant, we can also develop a comment of the situation of your company in English by contacting us.
