E-invoicing France
France will implement mandatory B2B e-invoicing, as well as an e-reporting obligation. This mandate impacts all companies operating in France.
This new e-invoicing mandate is complex and introduces the continuous transaction controls (CTC) model.
Note: On 17th of December 2025 the French Tax Authorities (DGFiP) confirmed Sovos as a certified Plateforme Agréée (PA). This means that Sovos is among the select few certified providers authorized to facilitate e-invoicing compliance in France, reflecting our solution’s robustness and our long-standing commitment to regulatory compliance.
France’s e-invoicing mandate, combined with the e-reporting obligation, provides the tax authorities with access to transaction data. This is to increase efficiency, cut costs and fight fraud. Whether you are a buyer or supplier, the mandate’s effect on businesses and their operational processes, financial systems and people is extensive.
This France e-invoicing guide will explain:
- How e-invoicing in France works
- Who needs to comply and when
- Key information about penalties and non-compliance
France B2B e-invoicing
Network
PPF
Format
UBL, CII or Factur-X
France B2G e-invoicing
Network
ChorusPro
Format
UBL, CII or Factur-X
E-invoicing in France: Requirements and regulations
- The French mandatory e-invoice system relies on a network of private certified service providers who connect taxpayers by facilitating the exchange of e-invoices and, additionally, connect the taxpayers to the French administration’s centralized platform (PPF) thus allowing the reporting of relevant invoice data.
- The French mandate consists of 3 main obligations: e-invoicing, e-reporting of invoicing data and exchange of e-invoices lifecycle statuses.
- E-invoicing: all B2B domestic supplies in France carried out between established entities, including branches of foreign companies, are subject to the e-invoicing obligation, i.e., only established entities will be impacted by this obligation.
- E-reporting: the e-reporting obligation is applicable to both established as well as non-established VAT registered entities, although with varying degrees of coverage. This obligation will cover transactions not under scope of the e-invoicing obligation such as B2C supplies and cross-border transactions.
- E-invoice lifecycle statuses: transmitted by the PAs providing real-time visibility on the statuses of electronic invoices being exchanged in the ecosystem. Particularly concerning transactions for which tax is payable on collection, taxpayers are required to report payment statuses as well.
- The accredited PAs, who exchange the electronic invoices between taxpayers and report invoice data to the PPF, must support 3 mandatory core-set formats for the exchange of electronic invoices – UBL, CII or Factur-X (a mixed human-readable and structured format) – although other structured formats may be used.
- E-invoices must include all mandatory fields as defined in the Code Général des Impôts as well as those required by commercial laws.
- Exchanging e-invoices directly between trading parties who are not registered as Platforme Agréées is not allowed. Invoices must be exchanged between parties through certified service providers.
- E-reporting frequencies are based on the VAT regimes that taxpayers are subject to. Taxpayers subject to the monthly VAT periodic reporting regime are required to e-report invoice data every 10 days.
Want to learn about the upcoming mandatory e-invoicing requirements in France? Download our ebook, France: A New Horizon – E-invoicing Mandate.
E-invoicing and e-reporting in France: Implementation timeline
- August 2023: The French Directorate General of Public Finances (DGFiP) postponed the implementation of the country’s e-invoicing mandate
- December 2023: The Finance Law for 2024 is adopted, establishing new implementation dates for the e-invoicing mandate
- June 2024: French authorities published a new version of the e-invoicing mandate External Specifications file
- February 2026: Testing/voluntary phase begins. This is highly promoted by the French Tax Authority, as this phase is seen as a “ramp up period” to ensure that all businesses are ready to comply with the mandatory phase from Sept 2026
- September 2026: All businesses must be able to accept e-invoices. It also becomes mandatory for large & intermediate-size businesses to issue e-invoices (& comply with e-reporting regulations).
- September 2027: It also becomes mandatory for all other businesses to issue e-invoices (& comply with e-reporting regulations).
Register for e-invoicing in France with Sovos
Sovos can help your business comply with the French mandate with a range of services:
- Tax compliance services – to control, sign, archive and format invoicing data according to the legal requirements as well as create SAF-T (FEC) reporting for both suppliers and buyers
- Sovos PA – Sovos is a confirmed Plateforme Agréée (PA)
- Connectivity services – through Sovos or via our partners to deliver e-invoice, e-reporting and lifecycle status data
Learn more about our scalable solution for France’s continuous transaction controls requirements.
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FAQ
What is e-reporting in France?
France’s e-reporting requirements are established alongside the new e-invoicing mandate, with the reporting frequency based on the taxpayers’ applicable VAT regime. The e-reporting requirement will complement the e-invoicing mandate by facilitating the transmission of data on B2C and cross-border B2B transactions.
What is e-invoicing in France?
In France, an electronic invoice is defined as an invoice which is issued and transmitted in paperless form, following a structured format.
France’s e-invoicing requirements come into effect during 2026-2027, depending on business size. However, from September 2026, all companies must be able to receive e-invoices through an accredited service provider (a PA).
What penalties will be levied if you don’t comply?
- E-invoicing: €15 per invoice, capped at €15,000 per year
- E-reporting: €250 per transmission, capped at €45,000 per year
What e-invoice format will be required in France?
The structure of the e-invoices can be UBL, CII or Factur-X (a mixed format) or any other structured format.
Is there a mandatory platform to use for e-invoicing or e-reporting?
Exchanging e-invoices directly between trading parties is not allowed. Originally it was intended that either a registered service provider (PA) or the centralized platform (Portail Public de Facturation – PPF) would transmit the e-invoice to the buyer party, which would then be able to leverage either a PA or the PPF for receiving the invoice.
However, the French Tax Authorities announced on 15 October 2024 that the PPF’s role has been significantly reduced and they will no longer handle the exchange of invoices for all companies across the country. As such, the French State’s “own free-of-charge” PA utility service will not become available to French businesses.
Therefore, all companies in scope are required to select a PA. Without the PPF being available as a free invoice exchange platform, it is estimated that 4+ million companies will now have to rely on PA-enabled accounting software to receive those transactions.
What is a PA?
PAs are private service providers accredited by the tax authority to intermediate data flows between trading partners and the PPF. They will act as the interface between companies and the French government and will be directly involved in issuing and receiving invoices. Following the announcement, on 15th October 2024, that the PPF will no longer be acting as a free invoice exchange platform, all companies in scope are required to select a PA.
Is Sovos a PA in France?
Following a rigorous evaluation process by the French Tax Authority (DGFiP), Sovos was granted its “Plateforme Agréée” (PA, formally known as a “PDP”) status, with the registration number n°0004, subject to conditions. This conditional registration recognized Sovos as one of a select few providers authorized to participate in the next phase of the DGFiP certification program, reflecting our solution’s robustness and our long-standing commitment to regulatory compliance.
These conditions required all PAs to successfully complete the official testing process organized by the DGFiP, which commenced on Tuesday, October 14th, 2025, and lasted up 3 months. Following validation by the DGFiP, final and definitive PA certification was granted to Sovos on 17th of December 2025.
How many countries have implemented e-invoicing?
There are a growing number of tax authorities that have implemented e-invoicing globally, including France, Italy, Saudi Arabia and India. There are also many countries working on implementing e-invoicing including Germany and Spain.
