Send cleared invoices to your buyers without having to worry about the technical integration with PPF
By Ioana Ploesteanu, Product Marketing Manager, Tradeshift
If you are a business operating in France and sending or receiving invoices, the introduction of the French Finance Law will not be news to you – been there, heard that. Instead what you might still be interested to know is how it works, what you need to do to be prepared in September 2026 and what all those acronyms mean that went by your ears: PDP, PPF, CTC.
As a company operating in France, and needing to send invoices, understanding the B2B e-invoicing and e-reporting mandate and its implications is essential for ensuring smooth operations and staying compliant. This article equips you with the knowledge and steps you need to be prepared.
First things first – what are all these acronyms: CTC, PDP, PPF?
Let’s dive into the definitions:
CTC (Continuous Transaction Control) is the tax clearance model the French government is introducing, moving from the post-audit model. This means that both the e-invoice clearance process and e-reporting are done in real time through the PPF (Portail Public de Facturation).
The PPF (Portail Public de Facturation), translating to “Public Portal for Invoicing,” is a government-managed platform designed to streamline electronic invoicing and e-reporting for B2B transactions. It acts as a central hub for exchanging invoices electronically and transmitting mandatory data to the French tax authorities.
The PDP (Plateforme Dematerialization Partenaire) are the e-invoicing service providers vetted by the government as suitable technically and from a data security perspective to connected to their tax clearance platform – PPF (Portail Public de Facturation) and clear documents on behalf of the businesses operating in France. To become a PDP service operators need to apply their candidature to the French authorities and receive the PDP registered (PDP immatriculée) status.
Listen to this interview (in French) recorded in July 2024 between our CPTO Raphael Bres and our Commercial Director, Michael Viscepan for a detailed explanation of the French Finance Law ecosystem.
What do I Need to Do as a Seller to be B2B e-invoice compliant in France?
While clearing invoices through the PPF (The Portail Public de Facturation) will become mandatory in September 2026, it’s crucial to be prepared in advance for the upcoming rollout:
- Stay Informed: The PPF implementation is happening in phases. Currently, September 2026 is the mandate for issuing and receiving e-invoices and e-reporting obligations, which will apply to 300 large companies and intermediate size and all companies regardless of their size must be able to receive e-invoices. Starting January 2025 an official pilot phase will commence for PDPs (Plateforme Dematerialization Partenaire) to test their connection to PPF (Portail Public de Facturation). Monitor the official French tax authority website or our blog and global e-invoicing compliance map for updates on the mandatory rollout date applicable to your business size.
- Choose a Compliance Method: The PPF offers two main options for transmitting invoices and data:
- Direct transmission: Businesses can directly connect their accounting software to the PPF platform for electronic invoice exchange and data reporting. This might require technical expertise or software upgrades.
- Platform de Dématérialisation Partenaire (PDP): Businesses can utilize a government approved third-party provider (PDP) specializing in electronic invoicing. PDPs handle the technical aspects of connecting to the PPF and ensure compliance. As of August 19th 2024 Tradeshift is a registered PDP in France (PDP immatriculée) and is leading the way in Compliance as a Service, providing our customers with innovative solutions that support their digital transformation journey and ensure they comply with e-invoicing and tax clearance mandates.
- Evaluate Your Options: Consider your business size, technical capabilities, and budget when choosing a compliance method. Direct transmission might be cost-effective for larger enterprises with the necessary IT infrastructure. Smaller businesses might find PDPs to be a more convenient and user-friendly solution.
Why choose Tradeshift as your e-invoicing and PDP registered (PDP immatriculée) platform?
Regardless of your size, with best-in-class solutions, like Tradeshift, you don’t have to worry about clearing the invoices before sending them to your buyers.
Simply generate your invoice and send it through our platform which manages the clearance flow for you. Tradeshift also facilitates collaboration between you and your buyers, offers you a simple onboarding process starting from the first invoice you send, and helps enhance documents for faster transaction processing.
On top of this you have full visibility of the invoice lifecycle, including payment due dates, and can easily communicate with your buyers through the platform. And if that’s not enough benefits, you also get early payment options giving you fast and predictable access to working capital. We’re not just helping you mitigate the changes imposed by the mandate, we’re offering you a better way for your business.
With Tradeshift as your B2B e-invoicing and PDP registered platform for clearance you will:
- Eliminate the complexity of outbound clearance by leveraging Tradeshift’s expertise.
- Save time and money by avoiding multiple investments; Tradeshift handles all integrations with clearance platforms.
- Stay compliant with ever-changing clearance regulations. Tradeshift automatically updates to reflect the latest requirements.
- Benefit from a secure data exchange between you, your buyer, and the tax authority. Tradeshift acts as a trusted intermediary.
Companies rely on Tradeshift to manage e-invoicing compliance around the world, not just in France. We offer compliance as a service for over 70+ countries and a productized process for complying with clearance mandates in 12 countries. We are also the only company offering cross-zone fapiao e-invoicing capabilities in China. Start sending and clearing your invoices with Tradeshift.
