eInvoicing Country Factsheets for each Member State & other countries
- France has implemented legislation requiring electronic invoicing (eInvoicing) for public procurement contracts. Article 193 of Law n°2019-486 stipulates that holders and subcontractors must send invoices in electronic form, which must be accepted by all public administrations.
- The submission of eInvoices to the public sector has been implemented gradually since January 2017, with all companies mandated to receive electronic invoices from July 1, 2024.
- A national unique invoicing portal called Chorus Pro has been developed to facilitate eInvoicing, allowing suppliers to submit invoices, check their status, and associated payments. Chorus Pro accepts three ways for invoice submission: manual entry, download of PDF or XML invoices, and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). The portal allows the use of the UBL Invoice 2.1 standard and UN/CEFACT XML CII 16B.
- No electronic signature is required, but it is commonly used, and the archiving period is 10 years.
- The uptake of eInvoicing is mandatory by law for both central and sub-central level contracting authorities.
- The benefits of eInvoicing include cost and operational savings, reduced administrative burden, reduced payment time, and contribution to process automation.
- France lets suppliers decide which electronic format and channel they will use. Access to Peppol, enabled through Chorus Pro, facilitates the cross-border exchange of eInvoices.
Source ec.europa.eu
