e-Invoicing & EDI

Update on the E-Invoicing Reform Pilot: Where Do We Stand?

For several months now, uncertainty has surrounded the pilot phase of the e-invoicing reform. Initially planned for early 2024, it has been impacted by the reform’s postponement—now scheduled for September 1, 2026—and the abandonment of the Public Billing Portal (PPF) platform functions.

Published on 22 November 2024 5 min to read

Article

Summary

A Planned Start… Then a Delay

In September 2023, 116 pilot projects involving over 1,300 companies, supported by their Partner Dematerialization Platforms (PDPs) or Dematerialization Operators (DOs), were selected to participate in a large-scale testing phase. Organized by the French Ministry of Finance, this pilot aimed to validate various exchange scenarios, including:

Flows 2, 1, 10.1, 10.3, 10.4
Use cases
A/B/C circuits

Initially scheduled from January to June 2024, the pilot has since been delayed, with recent communications from the General Directorate of Public Finances (DGFIP) indicating a potential rescheduling to the second half of 2025, contingent on the delivery of a qualification platform for the PPF.

A Mini-Pilot in 2025: Narrower Scope

Currently, a mini-pilot is being considered starting in February 2025, with the sole objective of testing the PPF directory service:

Initially, only a few pioneering PDPs will participate.
The pilot will gradually expand to include all PDPs.
A directory service could go live in production by the end of Q1 2025.

The testing scope will be limited to e-invoicing, specifically focusing on Circuit C (PDP-to-PDP exchanges).

What Testing Is Necessary for the Reform’s Success?

While the mini-pilot represents progress, conducting functional interoperability tests before moving into production remains crucial. However, the question arises: who will organize these tests?

The most likely scenarios include:

FNFE or a future Peppol Authority taking the lead in coordinating tests in consultation with PDPs and the DGFIP.
Specific tests conducted by AIFE to assess the PPF’s role as a data concentrator, particularly for flows 1 and 10.

Preparing for 2025 and 2026

One thing remains clear: the deadlines of September 1, 2026, and 2027 are non-negotiable. To ensure a smooth deployment of the reform, it will be essential to:

Test the various invoicing chains in advance, ensuring their operational readiness in production.
Plan for a gradual deployment, allowing companies to begin production as early as 2025, on a voluntary basis.

Prepare for your digital transition today

Contact Generix for personalized support in aligning with the e-invoicing reform.