On September 15, the French Council of Ministers decided to postpone the implementation date of mandatory electronic invoicing for all B2B transactions. invoice electronic invoicing for all B2B transactions, giving companies a further 18 months to prepare for the transition to Digitalization .
The new calendar - 2024 - 2026
July1, 2024 :
- Obligation for all companies to accept electronic invoices
- Electronic invoicing mandatory for all large companies
January1, 2025 :
- ETIs obliged to invoice electronically
January1, 2026 :
- Obligation for SMEs / VSEs to invoice in electronic format
At present, only the deployment deadlines have been modified, while the operating procedures for this reform, which had already been approved, remain unchanged.
How do you make the most of an extra 18 months?
It's a safe bet that the decision to postpone this reform was prompted by a fairly general observation that companies were lagging behind in their preparations for this transition to invoice dematerialization.
Indeed, such a project is not a trivial undertaking for a company, and depending on the complexity of the invoicing process and the volume of invoices to be processed, its implementation may require significant organizational changes and IS upgrades.
These extra 18 months offer all companies an excellent opportunity to prepare themselves calmly and progressively.
In the short term, we recommend that our customers carry out a complete audit of their internal billing processes, all their billing flows and their IS, in order to identify the changes they need to make to achieve compliance.
Anticipate for a smoother transition.
In addition to the functional modifications that will have to be implemented, the evolution of internal processes and relations with the company's commercial partners is an unavoidable part of the project. Probably the most time-consuming.
Indeed, the day-to-day work of accounting teams will necessarily be altered by the entry into force of these regulations. Invoice transmission, tracking and recording will all change from 2024 onwards. In the meantime, it will be necessary to support teams in adopting new habits and integrating best practices.
At the same time, customers and suppliers are equally affected by these changes. Depending on the timetable you choose to adopt, it will be necessary to launch a communication campaign with your business partners to inform them of the changeover to electronic invoicing and to gather the information they need to implement it. invoice and collect the information needed for its implementation.
New timetable for the widespread use of invoice an opportunity to be seized
In conclusion, the extra 18 months are in fact an excellent opportunity for all companies to avoid the regulatory change. In fact, by taking advantage of this extra time immediately, companies can ensure a simpler transition at all levels (technical, organizational, commercial), and ensure that the expected benefits of this reform are felt as quickly as possible.
The invoice The compulsory electronic version has been postponed. Find out more in this article.
