The VATfaqs digest
Global VAT news, delivered Tuesday and Thursday. Free, curated from 50+ official sources, no spam.
No spam · Unsubscribe any time
France's e-invoicing mandate will take effect on 1 September 2026, requiring all registered companies to issue and receive e-invoices and large and mid-sized firms to report electronically. The final technical guidelines from AFNOR and the AIFE's external specifications have been released, while the pilot phase shows low participation rates.
France's e-invoicing pilot program begins on 1 September 2026, with a voluntary testing phase from February to August 2026. The pilot allows businesses to test mandatory B2B e-invoicing and B2C/cross-border e-reporting before the mandatory deadline. Participation is voluntary but offers insight into data flow between trading partners, accredited platforms and tax authorities.
Global e-Invoicing Requirements Tracker
France's digital services tax (DST) imposes a 3% rate on digital intermediation and targeted advertising services supplied by large firms when they exceed €750 million worldwide and €25 million France. The tax is calculated on taxable sums received, multiplied by a France-presence coefficient, and it creates a cascading effect that can disproportionately burden low-margin businesses.
France will enforce mandatory e-invoicing from 1 September 2026. All taxable persons must receive e-invoices, while large and intermediate enterprises must issue them. The deadline was extended from 2024 to 2026 under the Finance Law for 2024.
France has released a practical guide for the start-up phase of its e-invoicing reform, effective 1 September 2026, stating that sanctions will not apply to businesses following a serious compliance trajectory. The guide outlines how firms should handle invoices outside the electronic circuit, preserve VAT deduction rights, and document corrective actions.
France will enforce its e-invoicing and e-reporting mandate from 1 September 2026, requiring all VAT-registered businesses to receive electronic invoices. Large enterprises and medium-sized companies must issue e-invoices from 1 September 2026, while SMEs and micro-enterprises must start issuing from 1 September 2027.
France requires all VAT-registered businesses to receive electronic invoices via a Plateforme Agréée from 1 September 2026. Large and mid-size companies must also issue through a PA from that date, while SMEs will follow in September 2027. More than 1.4 million French companies already have a live e-invoicing address.
France's mandatory e-invoicing and e-reporting reform remains due 1 September 2026, with DGFiP issuing a practical guide that allows temporary flexibility for implementation difficulties but does not alter the legal deadline. The guide permits businesses to use alternative channels such as email or PDF during the start-up phase, provided they document corrective actions and maintain continuity of invoicing and payments.
France confirms a 10% reduced VAT rate for intermediate rental housing (LLI) under CGI art. 279-0 bis A, effective 8 July 2026, with clarifications on serviced residences, dismemberment, and social mix. The updated BOFiP also clarifies VEFA chargeable events, resale and vacancy rules, and removes the 20% rate risk for VEFA contract assignments.
France's Tax Agency updated its administrative doctrine on 8 July 2026, clarifying VAT treatment for goods sales, lease-purchase options and related transactions. The guidance confirms VAT applies to transfers of tangible goods where the purchaser obtains owner-like disposal rights, treats hire-purchase arrangements and retention-of-title sales as supplies of goods, and classifies LPOs for tangible property as taxable services until the purchase option is exercised.
France will require all VAT-taxable businesses to receive electronic invoices from 1 September 2026, with large and mid-sized firms also issuing them. Smaller companies must issue and e-report from 1 September 2027, and all must use a government-approved Plateforme Agréée to comply.
France confirms its e-invoicing and e-reporting launch remains on 1 September 2026, with a Practical Guide to help businesses transition. The guide outlines six priorities and allows temporary use of paper or PDF invoices during technical difficulties, with penalties softened until January 2027.
France's B2B e-invoicing mandate will see new technical specifications released by AFNOR, with the first mandatory phase starting 1 September 2026. The documentation expands on business use cases, invoice data flows, third-party relationships, and ecosystem interactions to guide businesses, software vendors and ASPs.
France: The Administrative Court of Appeal of Paris has ruled that input VAT cannot be deducted for pre-incorporation acquisitions unless the transaction is clearly linked to the future company. The decision underscores the need for consistent documentation and evidence that the purchase was made on behalf of the company before incorporation.
France is implementing a new continuous transaction control (CTC) model that requires all businesses to use registered Plateformes Agréées (PAs) and the Public Billing Portal (PPF) for domestic B2B e‑invoicing, e‑reporting, and payment reporting. The mandatory rollout begins in September 2026 for e‑invoicing and e‑reporting, with payment reporting added in September 2027. ERP systems must be updated to handle new invoice lifecycle statuses (F1, F2/F3, F6, F10) and master‑data requirements before these deadlines.
France’s e‑invoicing and e‑reporting mandate takes effect on 1 September 2026. Businesses face €50 fines per non‑compliant invoice, escalating penalties for failing to receive e‑invoices, and €500 per missing e‑reporting transmission capped at €15 000 annually. The tax authority will focus on evidence of compliance efforts rather than automatic enforcement from day one.
Vertex Inc. highlights how continuous transaction controls (CTCs) shift tax compliance into real-time, exposing risks from misaligned IT, tax, and finance functions. The article outlines upcoming EU e‑invoicing mandates—Belgium 2026, Slovakia 2027, France 2026, Poland 2026, Germany phased rollout—and stresses the need for cross‑functional collaboration to meet real‑time reporting requirements.
France’s e‑invoicing reform mandates all VAT‑subject businesses to use an approved platform from 1 September 2026, with SMEs joining in 2027. The article explains the difference between accreditation and live invoice exchange, outlines penalties, and highlights the possibility of a 1 December 2026 deferral.
France will enforce a comprehensive e‑invoicing and e‑reporting mandate from 1 September 2026. Large and intermediate‑sized companies must issue e‑invoices immediately, while SMEs and foreign firms begin on 1 September 2027. The guidance outlines size thresholds, real‑time reporting requirements, and the penalty regime during the pilot phase.
France has launched a 2026 e‑invoicing pilot that runs from February to August, allowing businesses to test real invoice exchanges on the French Public Invoicing Portal. The pilot precedes the mandatory e‑invoicing regime that will take effect on 1 September 2026. Storecove will enable clients to join the pilot from mid‑June via its French API and the national Annuaire directory.