You've just received your first facture électronique, and you're not sure what to do with it. You're not alone. Since 1 September 2026, French businesses have had to be ready to receive e-invoices, and the first ones are now landing in people's inboxes. Here's exactly what to do.
If you run a business in France, you may have just received your first facture électronique. Your reaction is probably one of three: excited ("it's working!"), inquisitive ("what am I supposed to do with this?"), or startled ("why haven't I received any?"). All three are normal. Here's where you stand and what to do next.
Why you're receiving e-invoices
France's e-invoicing reform "la facturation électronique" happens in two steps:
- 1st September 2026: every business must choose an approved platform "plateforme agréée" and be able to receive electronic invoices.
- 1st September 2027: small businesses must start sending electronic invoices, or doing e-reporting.
If you are a micro-entrepreneur, an artist, or own a gite, you've probably been warned several times this year by the tax office to pick a platform. Some easy-to-use options I tend to recommend are Abby, Indy, Tiime, Qonto (if you want a bank) and Dougs.
Who actually receives e-invoices right now?
Only French business-to-business invoices are covered at this stage. If all your suppliers are outside France, you won't have received anything yet, but you still have to choose a platform.
I chose my platform Abby in May 2026 and heard nothing until the end of September. Most of my software comes from US or Canadian companies, which don't have to send French e-invoices.
You are more likely to receive e-invoices for things like:
- Business liability insurance.
- A mobile phone or internet plan in your business's name.
- A bookkeeping app.
- French contractors or suppliers.
What an e-invoice looks like
At the end of the month your platform emails you. Mine said "Vous avez reçu votre première facture électronique." The email tells you to check the invoice, pay it as usual, and keep a copy for your bookkeeping.
In the platform (Abby, in my case), click voir les factures. You'll see each invoice with its number, received date, due date, a preview, and the amounts excluding VAT, VAT and total. You can open the full invoice, download the PDF, or download the XML file.
Review each invoice to see whether it's something you expected. It's also a good reminder of what your own invoices must include. Even Google's invoice carried the compulsory late-payment mention (the €40 indemnité forfaitaire). Many people feel awkward adding it, but it's required. In practice, you'll usually negotiate or split payments rather than charge it.
Why checking matters: spotting mistakes
Two invoices arrived in my platform at the end of September: one from Google (€19, fine) and one from Qonto, which was a surprise.
In September I opened a Qonto account to test it for my course members. The trial was free if cancelled within 30 days. I cancelled in time and moved my money out, yet they invoiced me €124. Because I received it electronically, I spotted it immediately, contacted support with the contract wording, and they confirmed within a day that I could ignore their invoice.
How to reject an e-invoice
You can refuse invoices sent by you by mistake, for example when a supplier types the wrong SIREN number and you receive someone else's invoice.
- Open the invoice and click the "Having trouble with your invoice?" option.
- Select a reason. Options include incorrect VAT rate, incorrect total, missing legal mention, duplicate, unknown transaction, issuer unknown, and missing contractual reference.
- Add a comment (in French), click refuser, and confirm.
The supplier is notified and can cancel or correct the invoice. In September 2027, when you will start issuing e-invoices, the same process will let your customers flag your mistakes. The system is a hassle to adopt, but it should help you catch errors and resolve bookkeeping issues faster.
Your monthly checklist
- Watch for the monthly email from your platform.
- Log in and check each invoice. Is it correct, and is it something you expected?
- Refuse it if it's wrong.
- Pay it and keep a copy.
- Add this to your monthly bookkeeping routine, alongside your turnover and VAT declarations.
Beware of scams
New businesses in France often receive scam letters pretending you forgot a compulsory registration. They charge €196 to €400 for registration in a directory that sounds official but isn't, with names that play on words like Registre des Sociétés, Identification Légale, Indexation des Entreprises à la TVA, or SIRET/SIREN listings. They get your details from business directories, and every year some people pay and can't get the money back.
My warning is that these scammers will likely move to e-invoicing. All they need is your SIREN or SIRET to send an invoice that lands straight in your platform. Mandatory-poster scams, like the Informations Legales notices designed to look like something you must display for employees, are likely to show up this way too.
So always ask what an invoice is for. If you don't recognise the supplier, look them up online. If it's a scam, reject it with the reason "issuer unknown" and a comment such as arnaque or fausse presatation/facture.
Final thoughts: Your first e-invoice isn't something to fear. Check it, pay it as usual or reject it, and file it with your monthly bookkeeping.
Need extra help? Manage Your Micro-Entrepreneur
If you are a new micro-entrepreneur and all of this admin feels like a lot, my course Manage Your Micro-Entrepreneur walks you through your first year in business and the paperwork that comes with it.
Inside the course, you'll find:
- A guided tour of three platforms: Abby, Indy and Qonto.
- Step-by-step demos of how to create an invoice on each one.
- How to choose your e-invoicing platform and declare it as your platform with the tax office.
- Support with the monthly admin that now includes checking your e-invoices: bookkeeping, turnover declarations and VAT.
Join Manage Your Micro-Entrepreneur here
