Receiving e-invoices: the obligation has applied since 1 September 2026

What has applied since 1 September 2026

According to impots.gouv.fr, since 1 September 2026 large companies and mid-sized companies (entreprises de taille intermédiaire) must issue their invoices through an approved platform. Above all, every company must be able to receive electronic invoices. This second obligation concerns you, whatever your size. In practice, a supplier can now send you an invoice through this channel, and you must be ready to receive it. The topic is not limited to issuing. An SME that does not yet issue electronic invoices still has to organise reception. You will find the official details on the tax administration page, which links to a practical guide. If you have not put anything in place, the first priority is simple: know through which channel invoices will reach you.

The role of the approved platform

According to the tax administration, companies in scope must use an approved platform (plateforme agréée) to send and receive their electronic invoices, and to report transaction and payment data to the administration. The platform issues, transmits and receives invoices. It can also convert an invoice into a format suited to the customer, while preserving the integrity, authenticity, legibility and completeness of the data. It also extracts certain data, such as supplier and customer identification, the amount excluding tax or the VAT due, to pass it on to the administration. An approved platform is an operator registered by the DGFiP (the French tax authority) for three renewable years. A merely compatible solution, without registration, cannot send invoices to your customers' platforms or receive invoices on your behalf. So check the status of the operator you choose, in the list published on impots.gouv.fr.

What it changes for an SME running Dolibarr

Dolibarr remains your management tool: quotes, orders, customer and supplier invoices, payments. The approved platform becomes the channel for exchanges with your customers and suppliers. The sources do not mention any dedicated Dolibarr feature, and we will not invent one. What matters is consistency between the two. A supplier invoice received through the platform must find its place in your purchases, with the right third party, the right amount and the right due date. An incomplete third-party record, without a reliable company identifier, creates entry errors. If you are preparing this work, our article on preparing to receive electronic invoices explains the approach, and the e-invoicing page describes how we can help.

Points to check this week

A quick review is enough to see where you stand. It needs no budget and no heavy project, only an honest look at your current reception practices.

• Identify the approved platform you use or plan to use, and check that it appears in the list published by the administration.
• Name the person or team who reads incoming invoices and links them to purchases in Dolibarr.
• Check that your third-party records hold complete, up-to-date identification data.
• Tell your regular suppliers the address or channel through which you now receive their invoices.
• Test the full flow on a real invoice: reception, entry, validation, payment.

Common mistakes at first reception

The first risk is oversight: an invoice arrives on the platform, nobody reads it, and the due date passes. Plan regular checks and name a person in charge. The second risk is duplicates: the supplier still emails a PDF during the transition, and the same invoice is entered twice. Agree on a single channel with them and check the reference before any entry. The third risk is confusing a compatible solution with an approved platform. According to the administration, only the latter is allowed to receive invoices on your behalf and to transmit data to the administration. Finally, do not neglect access rights. Invoices contain amounts and bank details. Limit who can view and validate them in Dolibarr, and apply the good practices described in our guide to securing Dolibarr in production.

Next step: review your setup with us

Start with a simple check: take three recent supplier invoices and ask how they would reach you today through an approved platform, then how they would be linked in Dolibarr. If the answer is unclear, that is where the work lies. Issuing obligations are also being phased in, with deadlines you can find on impots.gouv.fr, and it is better to settle reception first. Dolicraft works with SMEs in France, Belgium and Luxembourg to configure Dolibarr, connect your tools and train your teams. For a review of your instance and your invoice flows, contact us and describe your current situation: Dolibarr version, volume of supplier invoices, and the dematerialisation tool you have in mind. We will come back to you with the points to handle first.