France Launches Live Pilot Ahead of September 2026 B2B E-Invoicing Mandate
France has officially kicked off a live pilot for B2B e-invoicing and B2C e-reporting in preparation for the mandatory nationwide rollout on 1st September 2026. The pilot, launched on the 23rd February 2026, is one of the first large‑scale live tests of a national B2B e‑invoicing and e‑reporting ecosystem in Europe and is designed to test the system under real transactional conditions, giving businesses, certified platforms, and the tax authority a chance to identify and resolve issues well ahead of the full mandate.
Participation in the pilot is voluntary and open to Plateformes Agréées (PAs) and willing businesses. Unlike sandbox or test environments, the pilot uses actual invoice data and real workflows, including invoice lifecycle events, validation, and reporting to the Public Invoicing Portal (PPF). This ensures that both taxpayers and service providers experience the full operational reality of the new system. Importantly, pilot data will not be used for enforcement, allowing participants to trial processes without compliance risk.
The pilot focuses on interoperability, structured invoice formats (UBL, CII, Factur‑X), and end-to-end system readiness. Feedback from this early phase will inform refinements to technical standards, onboarding processes, and support materials, helping avoid operational disruptions when e-invoicing becomes mandatory.
The early February pilot gives SMEs, large enterprises, and software providers several months to integrate, test, and familiarise themselves with system requirements, reducing risk of errors or delays in September.