With the imminent requirement for electronic invoicing, scheduled for 2024, 2025 or 2026 depending on the size of your business, it's time to start considering the IT equipment needed to cope with this change and stay competitive.
For companies that already have contracts with public sector bodies, there's no problem, as they already send their invoices electronically and are familiar with the practice. For all other companies, however, the question arises: how do you prepare for electronic invoicing?
The need for computer equipment
Equipment requirements depend on a number of criteria, such as :
- the company's business,
- customers,
- the number of transactions carried out,
- the volume of invoices issued daily.
In reality, most of the work doesn't fall to the companies themselves, but rather to the software publishers. They need to be able to offer dematerialization solutions tailored to all types of company.
If you're already using a cash register or invoicing software, it's up to the publisher to set up a function that makes it easy to transmit the required data to the tax authorities.
On the other hand, if your company doesn't use any software, you can enter the data yourself directly on the Chorus Pro public portal.
If, however, your company is not yet computerized, this e-invoicing reform could be an excellent opportunity to do so. However, you should beware of canvassing by certain software publishers who offer tools that are not necessarily compatible with the new system. It's important to know, for example, that no dematerialization platform is currently registered with the French administration as an official partner. The list of certified platforms will be published on impots.gouv.fr in due course.
What tools should you use?
As part of your dematerialization project, your company can choose which of the state-approved private platforms best suits its needs. It is also possible to opt for the public Chorus Pro platform, which has the advantage of being free of charge.
The role of these platforms is to transmit invoices from supplier to customer in dematerialized form, in various formats that can be read and processed by all users and accounting software. They then extract certain data (identification of parties, transaction amount, VAT amount, etc.) and transmit them to the tax authorities.
Switching to electronic invoicing allows you to automate certain tasks, saving you time on a daily basis. In just a few clicks, the invoice is ready to be sent, in compliance with the required standards. All transaction information (list of customers, products, etc.) is centralized on a single connected interface.
In addition to saving time, invoice management becomes less costly. A clear, fast process, with the option of online payment, improves payment times. No more paper and postage, and no more archiving clutter.
Adopting easy-to-use software to manage invoice processing through automation makes life much easier and reduces the risk of errors. Software publishers also often offer complementary tools for managing suppliers, inventories, projects, expenses, expense reports, marketing campaigns... A whole range of functions that can prove extremely useful.