Electronic invoicing: from September 1st, email will no longer be enough

You receive supplier invoices by email, as PDFs that you save into a folder. It has worked for years.

But from September 1st, 2026, that will no longer be enough. The good news: the project is smaller than many people think. The bad news: it comes with a deadline.

On September 1st, 2026, France’s electronic invoicing reform comes into effect. From that date, all businesses established in France and subject to VAT must be able to receive invoices electronically through a platform approved by the French tax authorities. Company size does not matter. Two employees or two hundred, the rule is the same.

And what about businesses on the ground? According to the Sage / OpinionWay survey conducted between June 18 and July 15, 2026 among 434 accounting and finance decision-makers, and cited by L’Indépendant on August 22, 2026, 92% of businesses have started preparing. However, only 66% consider themselves truly ready. In other words, one-third of companies know the train is coming but have not yet boarded.

The diagnosis: it is not just a technical issue

When business leaders are asked what is holding them back, technology is not at the top of the list. The three most common barriers are lack of time or internal resources (32%), lack of information about the reform (29%), and uncertainty about which approved platform to choose (27%).

The number one trap: confusing two different dates

This is THE source of confusion right now. The reform includes two separate obligations, each with its own timeline.

Receiving electronic invoices: mandatory for everyone from September 1st, 2026.

Issuing electronic invoices: for micro-businesses and SMEs, this requirement is postponed until September 1st, 2027. (Source: Service-Public Entreprendre, published August 14, 2026.)

However, according to the survey mentioned above, around 25% of businesses plan to choose their platform only by September 2027, and 9% have no timeline at all. They remembered the 2027 date and forgot the 2026 one. The result: they will be out of compliance from day one without even realizing it.

A quick word about the terminology, because it sounds more intimidating than it really is:

An “approved platform” is simply an online service authorized by the tax administration to exchange invoices. Think of it as an official mailbox. You designate one, your suppliers submit invoices there, and you retrieve them.

An “electronic invoice” is not a PDF sent by email. It is a structured file that software can read automatically. That is what eliminates manual data entry and reduces typing mistakes.

The solution: your 5-step action plan before September 1st

Set aside half a day. Let’s get started.

1. Check whether you are concerned by the reform. If your business is established in France and subject to VAT, then you are. Even if you benefit from a VAT exemption scheme, being VAT liable is enough. Invoices issued to private individuals and foreign customers are not covered by electronic invoicing requirements, but their data must still be reported separately to the authorities.

2. Look at what your current software already does. Many invoicing and point-of-sale solutions have added the required functionality without making a big announcement. A quick call to your software provider will tell you. If the answer is yes, half the work is already done.

3. Speak with your accountant. They know your business and can review the process with you and help validate your platform choice.

4. Choose your approved platform. The administration publishes an official list of registered platforms. Select one, register it, and you are done.

5. Inform the people concerned. Whoever handles invoices in your business must know where they will be received from September 1st onward.

A point of attention: your invoicing data also interests cybercriminals

One revealing detail from the survey: when asked about their choice of platform, 69% of decision-makers said that [data security is “very important”](/cybersecur”important”. Far ahead of cost considerations. The issue is no longer theoretical.

On August 14th, 2026, the French Ministry of Public Action and Accounts confirmed unauthorized access to the DGFiP information system. Around 678,000 accounts were affected, including approximately 285,000 business accounts, with exposed data such as SIREN numbers, company addresses and representative information. Individual notifications began on August 17th, 2026. (Sources: Entrepreneur.re, August 17th, 2026; L’Indépendant, August 22nd, 2026.)

The main risk is not direct financial theft. It is targeted phishing: a fake email that appears to come from thecontains your actual SIREN number and company address. That is far more convincing than a generic scam.

So, while implementing electronic invoicing, make sure your company adopts three simple habits:

1. Never approve a supplier bank account change without calling a known phone number to verify it.
2. Never click a link in a message demanding urgent action. Instead, access your usual customer portal directly.
3. Make sure employees report any doubt immediately. When it comes to cybersecurity, caution always pays off.

You have one obligation to meet before September 1st, 2026: being able to receive electronic invoices. You have another obligation to prepare for September 1st, 2027: being able to issue them. Between the two lies an opportunity to clean up and improve an invoicing process that probably needed some attention already.

And if the IT side of all this already sounds exhausting — software that does not support the right format, an overflowing mailbox, uncertainty about a suspicious email — that is exactly [the kind of everyday