PDP Tradeshift: How can your vendors easily clear invoices in France?
With Tradeshift PDP, you receive cleared invoices from your vendors without worrying about the technical details.
By Ioana Ploesteanu, Product Marketing Manager, Tradeshift
If your business operates globally and includes France as one of its markets, the introduction of the French Finance Law will not come as news to you.
On October 15, 2024, the DGFIP announced it would discontinue developing the PPF (Portail Public de Facturation) as the government e-invoicing platform for clearing invoices. Instead, it is now endorsing registered PDPs (Plateformes de Dématérialisation Partenaires) to comply with clearance requirements.
Understanding the B2B e-invoicing and e-reporting mandate in France and its implications is essential for ensuring smooth operations and staying compliant. This article provides 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 away from the post-audit model. This model means that both the e-invoice clearance process and e-reporting are conducted in real time.
PDPs (Plateformes de Dématérialisation Partenaires) are e-invoicing service providers vetted by the French government as technically suitable and secure for clearing documents on behalf of businesses operating in France. To become a PDP, service providers must apply to the French authorities and obtain PDP registered (PDP immatriculée) status.
As of August 19, 2024, Tradeshift is a registered PDP in France (PDP immatriculée) and leads in Compliance as a Service, providing innovative solutions that support digital transformation and ensure compliance with e-invoicing and tax clearance mandates.
PPF (Portail Public de Facturation), or “Public Portal for Invoicing,” is a government-managed platform initially designed to facilitate electronic invoicing and e-reporting for B2B transactions. The e-invoicing function was recently dropped, and the platform will now act only as a central hub for transmitting mandatory data to French tax authorities.
What do I need to do as a global company to be B2B e-invoice compliant in France?
While clearing invoices through a registered PDP (Plateforme de Dématérialisation Partenaire) like Tradeshift will become mandatory in September 2026, it’s crucial to prepare for the upcoming rollout:
- Stay Informed: With any rollout, updates happen constantly. For example, recent news from the DGFIP indicates that the PPF will no longer serve as their e-invoicing platform, with PDPs now endorsed as the only option for clearing invoices for all businesses in France. Staying updated is essential for preparation. At Tradeshift, we continually monitor French regulations and maintain contact with authorities to ensure compliance excellence. Follow our blog or reach out to one of our experts for the latest on the mandatory rollout date relevant to your business size.
- Phased Implementation: The mandate will be implemented in phases. By September 2026, 300 large and intermediate-sized companies will need to comply with issuing and receiving e-invoices and e-reporting obligations. Additionally, all companies, regardless of size, must be capable of receiving e-invoices.
- Pilot Phase: Starting in January 2025, an official pilot phase will begin for PDPs to test their connection to the government e-reporting platform and manage inbound and outbound clearance flows. Participating in a pilot program is one of the best steps to ensure you’re prepared for the September 2026 deadline. If you are already a Tradeshift customer, contact your Customer Success Manager to discuss joining the pilot.
- Choose a PDP: Businesses operating in France must choose and work with a government-approved third-party provider (PDP) specializing in electronic invoicing. PDPs manage the technical aspects of clearing invoices and ensure compliance. Consider your business size, technical capabilities, and budget when choosing a PDP. For global companies with subsidiaries in multiple countries, a platform like Tradeshift, offering Compliance as a Service in 70 countries, should be on your shortlist.
Why choose Tradeshift as your e-invoicing and PDP registered (PDP immatriculée) platform?
With best-in-class solutions like Tradeshift, you don’t have to worry about setting up your e-invoicing inbound and outbound flows or staying compliant.
Your vendors simply generate an invoice and send it through our platform, which manages the clearance flow for you. Tradeshift also facilitates collaboration between you and your vendors, offers them a simple onboarding process starting from the first invoice, and enhances documents for faster transaction processing.
Both you and your vendors have full visibility into the invoice lifecycle, including payment due dates, and can communicate easily through the platform. Additionally, you can offer early payment options to your vendors, providing them with quick and predictable access to working capital. We’re not just helping you navigate mandated changes—we’re offering you a better way to do business.
With Tradeshift as your B2B e-invoicing and PDP registered platform, you will:
- Eliminate the complexity of inbound and outbound clearance by leveraging Tradeshift’s expertise.
- Save time and money by avoiding multiple investments. As a global platform, Tradeshift handles all integrations with clearance and B2B e-invoicing platforms across different countries, allowing you to use one platform for all markets, not just France.
- Stay compliant with ever-evolving clearance regulations. Tradeshift automatically updates to reflect the latest requirements.
- Benefit from a secure data exchange between you, your buyers, and the tax authorities. Tradeshift acts as a trusted intermediary.
Tradeshift’s commitment to compliance and supporting digital transformation
Tradeshift has a proven process for delivering compliance-as-a-service and provides customers such as AirFrance, Disneyland Paris, and Schaeffler with innovative solutions that support their digital transformation journey and ensure they comply with e-invoicing and tax clearance mandates.
We currently offer compliance-as-a-service for 70 countries, including a streamlined process for complying with tax clearance mandates in 12 countries and e-Invoicing mandates.
Examples of countries with tax clearance or B2B e-invoicing mandates that we support are France, Romania, Malaysia, and Germany with other European and APAC countries on our roadmap.
To ensure compliance excellence, we continually evaluate emerging global regulations and prioritize the inclusion of additional countries in our roadmap.
We’re also the only company offering cross-zone fapiao e-invoicing capabilities in China and among the first to become a registered PDP (PDP immatriculée) in France.
