E-invoicing in France: 2026-2027 timeline and how to prepare with Dolibarr

E-invoicing is no longer a distant topic for French companies. The reform starts progressively from 1 September 2026 and will change the way B2B invoices are issued, received, processed and reported to the tax administration.

For an SME, a small business or a company already using an ERP such as Dolibarr, the challenge is not only to “send an electronic invoice”. The real preparation is about data quality, internal processes, invoicing tools and exchanges with customers, suppliers and accountants.

The French timeline to remember

According to official French information, the reform applies progressively to companies established in France and subject to VAT.

The main milestones are:

• 1 September 2026: all companies must be able to receive e-invoices.
• 1 September 2026: large companies and intermediate-sized companies must also issue e-invoices.
• 1 September 2027: the issuing obligation will extend to SMEs and micro-enterprises.

The same timeline is also used for the implementation of e-reporting, meaning the transmission of certain transaction data to the tax administration.

In practice, a small French company should not wait until 2027 to prepare. From 2026, it must already be ready to receive supplier e-invoices correctly.

Which companies and transactions are concerned?

E-invoicing concerns transactions between companies established in France and subject to VAT.

The main cases include:

• supplies of goods or services located in France between VAT-taxable businesses;
• advance payments related to those transactions;
• certain public auctions of second-hand goods, works of art, collectors’ items or antiques.

In addition to e-invoicing itself, e-reporting is used to transmit data for transactions that do not fall into the standard domestic B2B e-invoicing flow, such as some international or B2C transactions depending on the applicable rules.

A certified platform becomes a central component

Once the reform starts, companies will have to use a platform certified by the French State to issue and receive e-invoices or declare the required data.

In practice, the chosen solution must be able to:

• receive incoming e-invoices;
• issue outgoing invoices in the expected formats;
• transmit mandatory data;
• keep reliable traceability;
• integrate properly with the company’s management software or ERP.

This is where preparation becomes very concrete. If customers, products, addresses, identifiers, VAT rules and payment options are poorly structured in the management tool, the transition will be harder.

New invoice information to prepare

The reform also introduces additional mandatory information. Invoices must be able to include data such as:

• the customer’s SIREN number;
• the delivery address when it differs from the billing address;
• whether the invoiced operations are goods, services or both;
• information about VAT payment on debits when the supplier has opted for that regime.

These points may sound administrative, but they have a very practical impact inside an ERP. The system must know where to store those fields, when to require them, how to export them and how to avoid manual corrections at the last minute.

Why prepare Dolibarr before the deadline?

Dolibarr can be a very good base for managing customers, quotes, orders, invoices, products, services, payments and documents. But for e-invoicing to work smoothly, it is not enough to add a “send” button.

A serious preparation should check:

• customer and supplier data quality;
• mandatory identification numbers;
• billing and delivery addresses;
• VAT rules;
• invoice templates;
• deposits, credit notes and correction workflows;
• archiving and traceability;
• exchanges with the accountant.

It is also a good moment to avoid fragile workflows: invoices generated in one tool, payments tracked elsewhere, customer data stored in spreadsheets, and documents sent manually. The cleaner the management base, the easier a structured invoicing integration becomes.

What about Belgium and Peppol?

Belgium has already taken a clear direction with structured e-invoicing between VAT-taxable businesses. Since 1 January 2026, Belgian companies concerned by the obligation must use structured e-invoices between themselves.

The Peppol standard plays an important role in the Belgian transition. It enables structured invoice exchange through a network of access points, with interoperability between software providers and countries.

For a French company working with Belgian customers or suppliers, this is important. Even though the French reform has its own framework and certified platforms, the broader European movement is the same: invoices are becoming structured, exchangeable and verifiable data, not just PDF files sent by email.

Over time, companies that have already structured their data and processes will be better positioned to handle cross-border exchanges, especially with Belgium and other countries relying on Peppol or compatible formats.

How E-dem can help around Dolibarr

At E-dem, we regularly work on Dolibarr, business modules, automation and e-invoicing flows.

For Belgian or cross-border companies, our EMPeppol module integrates Peppol exchanges into Dolibarr, with the goal of keeping invoices inside the ERP instead of multiplying external portals.

For French companies or businesses working between France and Belgium, the safest approach is to start with a simple audit:

• how are invoices created today?
• what data is missing from customer and supplier records?
• which formats or platforms will be required?
• which flows concern France, Belgium or other countries?
• which steps can be automated in Dolibarr?

Key takeaway

French e-invoicing arrives in two phases: general reception from September 2026, issuing first for large and intermediate-sized companies, then issuing for SMEs and micro-enterprises in September 2027.

But the right preparation starts before the deadline. Companies need to clean their data, choose the right tools, adapt their processes and anticipate European partner exchanges.

If you use Dolibarr, or if you are considering it as a base for invoicing and business management, contact us. We can help you assess your situation, prepare your ERP and think through useful integrations with e-invoicing, Peppol and accounting flows.

Useful sources: Service-Public Entreprendre for the French timeline, and efacture.belgium.be for the Belgian context.