🇫🇷 France · Compliance guide
FrançaisFacturation Électronique (E-Invoicing) for French Artisans
What France's phased e-invoicing mandate means for tradespeople — the timeline, the PDP (plateforme agréée) model that replaced the scrapped free portal, and which software is a registered platform.
By WrenchStack Research · Published & verified June 2026 · Not tax advice — confirm your situation with the DGFiP (impots.gouv.fr) or your expert-comptable.
⏰ The short version
From 1 September 2026, every French VAT-registered business — including auto-entrepreneurs — must be able to receive structured e-invoices. From 1 September 2027, SMEs and micro-entreprises (most artisans) must also issue them. Invoices flow through a government-approved platform — a PDP / plateforme agréée — because the planned free public portal was scrapped. The practical task: make sure your invoicing software is (or connects to) a registered PDP before your deadline.
The phased timeline
The calendar was set by Article 91 of the loi de finances pour 2024, after the original 2024 start was postponed. A non-penalised pilot has run since February 2026.
- 1 September 2026 — reception: ALL VAT-registered businesses must be able to receive e-invoices (every size, including auto-entrepreneurs).
- 1 September 2026 — issuance (large & mid-size): grandes entreprises and ETI must issue e-invoices and do e-reporting.
- 1 September 2027 — issuance (SMEs & micro): PME, TPE and micro-entreprises — most artisans — must issue e-invoices and do e-reporting.
What the reform actually requires
- Use an approved platform (PDP / plateforme agréée). Invoices are issued, transmitted and received through a DGFiP-approved platform — there is no free public alternative for issuing.
- Structured formats. E-invoices use structured formats — commonly Factur-X (a hybrid PDF with embedded XML that stays human-readable), plus UBL and CII. Your platform handles the format.
- The annuaire routes invoices. The refocused public portal (PPF) runs the national directory that routes invoices between platforms and forwards data to the DGFiP.
- E-reporting. A parallel obligation transmits certain transaction/payment data (e.g. B2C sales, foreign counterparties) to the DGFiP on the same calendar.
- Chorus Pro remains the platform for public-sector (B2G) invoicing, as it has been since 2017.
Why this matters for artisans specifically
French trades already work to a regulated devis → facture norm with mandatory invoice mentions, so the leap to structured e-invoicing is smaller than it looks — but two wrinkles are trade-specific. First, your invoices carry multi-rate TVA (20 / 10 / 5.5%), and the structured format must reflect the right rate per line. Second, many tradespeople are micro-entrepreneurs under the VAT franchise: those invoices still carry the "TVA non applicable, art. 293 B du CGI" mention and still must flow through an approved platform. The mandate is not just for big companies — auto-entrepreneurs are squarely in scope.
Which software is a registered platform (PDP)?
From the tools French artisans actually use, these are registered "plateformes agréées." Most registrations are "sous réserve de raccordement" until live interoperability tests finish — always check the official DGFiP list of approved platforms before committing.
| Platform | PDP status | Best fit | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennylane | Registered PDP (plateforme agréée) | French cloud accounting + invoicing for SMEs; the leading native PDP | Free plan; from ~€14/mo |
| Indy | Registered PDP (immatriculée 2026) | French accounting aimed at independents / micro-entrepreneurs | Free tier; Plus ~€9/mo HT |
| Tiime | Registered PDP (immatriculée 2025) | French accounting + invoicing for small firms | Free tier; from ~€17.99/mo HT |
| Sellsy | Registered PDP — "sous réserve", emission-only | French CRM + invoicing for SMEs | From ~€29/mo per user |
| Sage | Registered PDP ("PA Sage") | Established accounting/ERP with a French presence | Pricing on quote |
Source: vendor announcements + DGFiP list, verified June 2026. EBP routes through Cegid's approved platform and Henrri through Pennylane's — they are not themselves PDPs. Confirm current status on the official impots.gouv.fr list.
What about my devis-facture software (Obat, Tolteck, EBP…)?
Your job-management / devis-facture tool issues your invoices, so it must be able to send and receive them through an approved platform by your deadline — either by being a registered PDP itself, or by routing through one. The right question for any vendor is simple: "Are you a registered PDP, or which PDP do you connect to, and from when?" Don't assume a great quoting tool automatically covers the mandate — confirm the platform path.
Readiness checklist for artisans
- Confirm you can receive e-invoices by 1 September 2026 — this applies to every business, including micro-entrepreneurs.
- Ask your invoicing software the PDP question: are you a registered platform, or which one do you route through, and from when?
- If you're still on paper / Word / Excel, choose a compliant tool well ahead of the deadlines.
- Check multi-rate TVA handling (20 / 10 / 5.5%) and, if you're under the franchise, the art. 293 B mention.
- Plan to issue via a PDP by 1 September 2027 (SMEs / micro) — earlier if you're a large or mid-size firm.
- Test before the deadline — this touches every invoice you send and receive.
Frequently asked questions
When does French e-invoicing become mandatory for a small artisan?
Two dates matter. From 1 September 2026, ALL VAT-registered businesses — including auto-entrepreneurs — must be able to RECEIVE structured e-invoices. From 1 September 2027, SMEs and micro-entreprises (most artisans) must also ISSUE them through an approved platform. Large and mid-size firms must issue from 1 September 2026. A non-penalised pilot phase has been running since February 2026.
What is a PDP, and do I really need one?
A PDP (Plateforme de Dématérialisation Partenaire), now officially a "plateforme agréée," is a DGFiP-approved platform that issues, transmits and receives e-invoices and reports the data to the tax authority. Yes, you need one: the originally-planned free public portal (PPF) for issuing invoices was scrapped in the loi de finances 2025. The PPF now only runs the national directory (annuaire) that routes invoices between platforms — every business must use an approved platform, either directly or through their accounting software.
My devis-facture software isn't a PDP — is that a problem?
Not necessarily. Many French tools that aren't themselves PDPs connect to one — for example EBP routes through Cegid's approved platform, and Henrri relies on Pennylane's. What matters is that your invoicing software can send and receive compliant e-invoices via an approved platform by your deadline. Ask your vendor directly: "Are you a registered PDP, or which PDP do you route through, and from when?"
What format will e-invoices use?
France's reform uses structured electronic formats — commonly Factur-X (a hybrid PDF carrying embedded XML, popular with smaller businesses because it stays human-readable), as well as UBL and CII. Your platform handles the format; you generally keep working in your normal invoicing screen. Alongside invoicing, an "e-reporting" obligation transmits certain transaction and payment data (e.g. B2C sales) to the DGFiP on the same calendar.
I'm a micro-entrepreneur under the VAT franchise — am I still concerned?
Yes. The mandate applies to VAT-registered businesses broadly, and micro-entrepreneurs are in scope on the same calendar — reception from September 2026, issuance from September 2027. If you invoice under the franchise en base, your invoices still carry the "TVA non applicable, art. 293 B du CGI" mention, and they'll need to flow through an approved platform like everyone else's.
What should I do now?
Confirm your invoicing software's plan: will it be (or connect to) a registered PDP, on what timeline, at what cost? If you're still on paper, Word or Excel invoices, choose a compliant tool well before September 2026 so you can receive e-invoices, and be ready to issue via a PDP by September 2027. Leave time to test — this affects every invoice you send.
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