Starting September 1, 2026, e-invoicing will become mandatory for B2B transactions in France – for both sending and receiving invoices. Companies doing business in France must have fully transitioned their invoicing processes by this date.
What many underestimate: time is running short – and the requirements are complex. There are often only a few weeks or months between the release of final technical specifications and the mandatory go-live. Companies that start too late risk unnecessary time pressure or even delay in implementation.
E-Invoicing Is More Complex Than Many Expect
E-invoicing is not just an IT project. Implementing a new format or building an interface is not enough.
Companies must address tax, legal, process, and technical requirements simultaneously – and under significant time pressure.
That’s why it’s critical to involve the right stakeholders early and to structure the project properly from the start. Delayed planning or missing key roles can quickly lead to avoidable challenges.
Success Depends on the Right Combination of Roles
A successful e-invoicing project in France depends on the interaction of three key roles:
- Compliance expertise
- Technical integration
- ERP-side implementation within the company
Only when these areas work together seamlessly can companies ensure a smooth and timely rollout.
Ensuring Compliance: Managing Tax and Process Requirements
On the compliance side, companies need specialists who understand both the French tax framework and the associated process requirements.
To support this, Retarus works closely with partners such as PwC Germany as part of a joint business relationship specifically designed for these requirements.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Verifying invoices against legal requirements (mandatory fields, archiving, etc.)
- Clarifying process-related scenarios (e.g., collective invoices, discounts)
- Supporting portal registrations and certificate management
- Continuously monitoring regulatory changes
- Analyzing existing processes and conducting gap analyses against new requirements
Technical Implementation: From ERP to Platform Transmission
Retarus handles the entire technical integration – covering all processes downstream of the ERP system: from data processing and country-specific format conversion to transmission to government platforms and error handling.
This includes:
- Building the technical infrastructure
- Processing inbound and outbound data streams
- Format conversion (e.g., Factur-X for France)
- Validation according to national requirements (e.g., Schematron)
- Transmission to government platforms
- Generation of PDF visual representations
- Error handling and status feedback to the ERP system
- Archive integration
Internal Responsibilities: What Companies Need to Handle
Important preparatory work must also be carried out on the customer side – and is often underestimated.
This includes:
- Setting up the source format in the ERP system
- Providing data for further processing
- Integrating new mandatory fields (e.g., Peppol ID, SIRET number)
- Processing status feedback within the ERP system
- Connecting the archive
Why the Right Setup Determines Project Success
The combination of compliance expertise and technical implementation is not a nice-to-have – it is essential for achieving a compliant and timely rollout.
Compliance partners provide the foundation: they analyze processes, define requirements, and ensure that all regulatory obligations are met. These requirements are then directly implemented from a technical perspective.
Without this alignment, companies risk rework under time pressure – something few can afford given the tight timelines between specification release and mandatory implementation.
Act Now: Get Started with the Right Partner Setup
Retarus supports companies with a scalable, Peppol-enabled, fully managed e-invoicing platform for compliant processes across Europe and globally.
Together with specialized compliance partners such as PwC Germany, we provide an integrated setup – from tax and regulatory preparation to full technical implementation.
Want to learn how to set up your e-invoicing project in France the right way?
Listen to our latest podcast episode:
“E-invoicing in France: What really matters for German companies now”
Find out more about e-invoicing requirements in France here.
