The accounting expert in Andorra: legal framework, real functions and how to choose a reliable professional

Reading time: 9 minutes

🏁 Understanding the accounting landscape in Andorra

Many international entrepreneurs and professionals arrive in Andorra looking for an accounting expert, assuming they will find the same regulated profession as in their home countries.

However, the Andorran reality is entirely different: the title does not exist, the profession is not regulated, and no formal qualification is required to provide accounting services.

This difference often surprises newcomers and raises an essential question:
how can you ensure that the person managing your accounting truly has the experience and technical knowledge required?

This article clarifies the legal framework, the accounting obligations imposed by law, the risks of relying on unqualified providers, and why in Andorra it is crucial to separate accounting from tax advisory work.

📘 Accounting in Andorra: essential, but not regulated

In other countries, the chartered accountant or the "expert-comptable" works under a regulated profession, an official order and strict professional controls.
In Andorra, the situation is the exact opposite:

• There is no official title of “accounting expert”.
• No law regulates the profession.
• No training or qualification is required.
• No professional registration is necessary.
• The former “college of accountants” still exists legally but is inactive and has never required accreditation or standards.

As a result, anyone can offer accounting services, even without technical training or experience.

This creates a highly uneven market and exposes businesses to real operational, fiscal and legal risks.

📘 The real accounting obligations in Andorra (what the law actually requires)

Even though the profession is not regulated, Andorran law imposes strict accounting obligations.

These stem mainly from the Llei 30/2007 on business accounting and Decree 119/2022.

✔ Keeping organised accounts

All businesses – individuals and companies alike – must maintain accounting appropriate to their activity.

✔ Maintaining the mandatory accounting books

• Daily ledger
• Inventory and annual accounts

Failure to keep these books constitutes a very serious offence.

✔ Preparing annual accounts within 6 months

Annual accounts must include:
balance sheet, profit and loss account, changes in equity, cash flows (except for abridged models) and notes to the accounts.

✔ Mandatory filing of accounts

All companies must file their annual accounts electronically.

The only exception concerns individuals (not operating through a company) earning less than €150,000 per year.

The filing is submitted at the same time as the corporate income tax return.

➤ For more information, we recommend the article Corporate income tax in Andorra.

✔ Keeping documentation for 6 years

Failure to do so may result in significant penalties.

✔ Penalty regime

Andorran law provides for:

• minor, serious and very serious fines;
• restrictions on contracting with the Administration;
• potential registry blocks.

In short: the profession is free, but the entrepreneur holds full responsibility.

📘 Accountant vs tax advisor: a critical distinction in Andorra

Unlike in other jurisdictions, in Andorra accounting and tax advisory work are two separate professions.

🔴 AEREUS — professional accounting (non-regulated activity)

Our accounting team specialises in:

• the Andorran General Accounting Plan;
• preparing and closing financial statements;
• filing annual accounts and formal obligations;
• bank reconciliations and reporting;
• treasury control;
• documentation for banks and investors;
• supporting international businesses;
• technical coordination with tax advisors.

🟡 ELYSIUM — tax and corporate advisory (regulated professions)

Our tax advisers, economists and lawyers:

• work under mandatory professional registration;
• apply Andorran, Spanish, French and international tax rules;
• ensure that accounting decisions comply with tax standards;
• prevent risks during inspections or cross-border transactions.

💎 Why this separation is essential

An accountant without tax training may:

• misclassify assets or expenses;
• apply invalid accounting criteria in Andorra for these purposes;
• ignore French (PCG) or Spanish (PGC) accounting rules;
• generate unforeseen tax consequences;
• compromise audits or inspections.
• Lead to tax inspections.

In Andorra, an accountant is not a tax adviser.
Keeping these two functions separate is the safest way to operate.

📘 What a good accountant must do in Andorra

✔ Appropriate tasks

• Accurate bookkeeping
• Monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual closings
• Preparation of statutory financial statements
• Filing IGI (local VAT) returns
• Treasury management
• Audit documentation (when applicable)
• Coordination with tax advisers
• Reporting in French, Spanish or English

➤ To understand IGI in detail, see the article VAT in Andorra: how the indirect tax system works.

✖ Tasks that an accountant should not perform

• Tax planning
• Legal or corporate advice
• Interpretation of tax or legal rules
• Representation in tax inspections
• Drafting commercial contracts
• International structuring
• Incorporation of companies

➤ See Setting up a company in Andorra and Key points before incorporating a company.

📘 Why it is difficult to find good accountants in Andorra

• No regulation → low barriers to entry
• Limited pool of qualified professionals
• Frequent lack of familiarity with the Andorran PGC
• Insufficient mastery of PCG (France), PGC (Spain) and IFRS
• Arrival of complex international structures
• High expectations from international and especially French clients

🧩 Practical conclusion

A competent accountant in Andorra must master both the Andorran framework and international standards.

📘 How to choose a reliable accountant in Andorra

• Proven experience (minimum 5–8 years)
• Solid understanding of the Andorran PGC
• Knowledge of international accounting standards
• Real tax supervision by a specialised firm
• Service in French, Spanish and English
• Clear, traceable internal processes
• Integrated AEREUS + ELYSIUM model

🏆 The difference between a manager an adviser and a consultant

As in many jurisdictions, it is essential to distinguish when you need an manager—a role often aligned with the more operational functions of an accountant—, when you need an adviser, such as a tax or corporate adviser, and when it is appropriate to engage a consultant, especially in situations requiring a holistic and strategic perspective that integrates multiple areas, often with an international scope.

➤ We recommend reading the article Differences between manager, adviser and consultant: which one does your business need? for further insight.

Conclusion: there is no expert-comptable in Andorra… but there is a safer model

There is no regulated expert-comptable in Andorra as understood in France.
However, there is a safer and more efficient model: the combination of AEREUS (accounting) and ELYSIUM (tax and legal advice).

This is precisely what international entrepreneurs look for:
legal certainty, technical rigour, real experience and clear communication in their own language.

If you want to ensure that your accounting is properly managed and supervised, we will be delighted to advise you personally and with full discretion.
Contact us through our contact form and tell us how we can help you.

Last revision date: November 2025.