France publishes updated technical standards for 2026 mandate

France /

August 11, 2025, 11:52 AM /

1 minute

New versions of the pivotal standards XP Z12-012 (“Formats and Profiles”) and XP Z12-014 (“Use Cases”) were officially released.

On July 31, 2025, France took another significant step toward implementing its national e-invoicing and e-reporting mandate, with new versions of the XP Z12-012 (“Formats and Profiles”) and XP Z12-014 (“Use Cases”) standards.

These updated documents, published by AFNOR and developed with the FNFE-MPE, incorporate feedback from over 200 contributors representing various stakeholders in the French e-invoicing ecosystem. They reflect a collective effort to refine technical standards, clarify use cases, and align more closely with the European e-invoicing norm EN16931.

What’s New in Z12-012 and Z12-014?

The latest version of XP Z12-012 provides a detailed breakdown of supported invoice formats and lifecycle status messages. It also includes two annexes featuring structured examples that are intended to ease implementation efforts by PDPs (now referred to as PA: “Plateformes Agréées”), dematerialization operators, and software providers. This structure helps bridge the gap between standard definition and technical execution, notably for integration with the PPF (Portail Public de Facturation) and its data concentrator.

Meanwhile, XP Z12-014 outlines updated use cases that will serve as the operational guidelines of the French B2B e-invoicing reform. It expands the library of use cases with enhanced clarity and traceability, serving as a guide for how invoices and their statuses should be managed across different business scenarios.

With e-invoicing set to become mandatory in France, staying aligned with the latest updates to Z12-012 and Z12-014 is critical. These standards not only define the technical framework but also serve as the foundation for interoperability between private platforms and the state-operated PPF. They ensure that all stakeholders speak the same language, both in terms of data and process.

Further developments imminent

To support conformance testing, beta versions of the official Schematrons (validation rules used to check the structure and content of e-invoices) were also released by the FNFE. These will allow stakeholders to begin testing their solutions against the evolving standard.

The next significant update of the standards, expected in October, will expand the profiles to include:

Additional data fields
Multi-vendor invoice support
B2C e-reporting scenarios
Continued enhancements based on EN16931 advancements

Access the Updated Standards

Download links (available in French only):

Stay tuned to The Invoicing Hub for the latest global developments on e-invoicing mandates, and visit our France Country Profile to learn more.

Country Profile

France

Country regulation overview, resources, technical details, timeline, and more

Get your Project Implemented

Gold Sponsor

IOPOLE’s API-first Iopole e-Invoicing Hub enables software vendors to deliver compliant e-invoicing and e-reporting across France and internationally, trusted by 150+ integrations and processing 150M+ documents yearly.

Through the Iopole e-Invoicing Hub, applications connect via API to Peppol-certified networks and French tax authorities, ensuring seamless regulatory compliance across domestic and international flows.
Since 2022, IOPOLE has become the trusted partner for 150+ software integrations, processing 150+ million B2B2B documents annually on a SecNumCloud sovereign infrastructure with 99.9% SLA.

As a pure-player in e-invoicing, IOPOLE focuses exclusively on infrastructure, compliance updates, and scalable technical support, allowing software vendors to expand their services quickly without competing with their core solutions. Optional 10-year legal archiving ensures secure, long-term compliance and audit readiness.

Arratech delivers Access Points & SMP as-a-Service, giving businesses and service providers a modern, compliant platform to connect seamlessly to the Peppol Network and scale e-invoicing with ease.

Comarch provides a certified, cloud-based e-invoicing platform designed for global enterprise operations. Trusted in over 60 countries, their scalable solution automates invoice exchange, ensures seamless ERP integration, and guarantees continuous legal compliance.

ITESOFT, the French leader in digitisation and automation software, processes more than a billion documents every year. Its solutions, based on artificial intelligence, optimise processes for more than 650 customers.

Esker is a global cloud platform built to unlock strategic value for Finance, Procurement and Customer Service professionals, and strengthen collaboration between companies by automating the cash conversion cycle.

IDC designs and develops innovative solutions and outsourced services to optimize information management. The goal is to be protagonists of the digital transformation of companies' internal processes.

TX2 CONCEPT helps businesses comply with e-invoicing regulations, in France and internationally, with secure and automated solutions. As an Approved Platform and Peppol Access Point, we ensure seamless compliance.

Docoon.immo (ex Neovacom), a French PDP, offers Freedz, a collaborative solution automating electronic invoice processing in real estate and construction, ensuring legal compliance and improving customer-supplier relations.

ICD International is a French independent software vendor specializing in e-invoicing, EDI, and document digitalization, providing compliant, automated solutions to optimize Purchase-to-Pay and Order-to-Cash processes.

Yooz is the smartest, most powerful, and easiest-to-use cloud solution for automating the e-invoicing and Purchase-to-Pay processes.

ecosio provides futureproof e-invoicing compliance services via a single connection to the cloud. Once connected, businesses can achieve full compliance with e-invoicing mandates all over the world with ease.

Basware is how the best finance teams gain complete control of every invoice, every time. Our Intelligent Invoice Lifecycle Management Platform ensures efficiency, compliance and control for all invoice transactions.

ClearTax is an AI-native technology company helping enterprises automate compliance, invoicing, and finance operations across 50+ countries with intelligent, scalable, enterprise-grade solutions.

Artéva, publisher of the Orchestrade® SaaS platform, digitizes your invoice management processes and automates your B2B exchanges with all of your business partners.

Docoon is a highly secure solution provider offering electronic signature, electronic invoicing, and a white-label Approved Platform (PA). Additionally, it provides archiving services and a multichannel platform to enhance business processes.

SEEBURGER provides compliant, automated e-invoicing across France, Spain and 33 other countries, with native SAP and broad ERP support, benefiting IT and Finance and built on 40 years of experience.

Tenor specializes in publishing Electronic Invoicing and our primary focus is on streamlining exchanges between companies through solutions that interconnect information systems.

EsaLink offers Hubtimize e-Invoicing, a certified, ERP-agnostic platform that ensures compliance and automation for companies seeking a comprehensive electronic invoicing solution in preparation for the 2026 reform.

Symtrax delivers solutions that streamline AP and AR processing, ensure compliance, and integrate seamlessly with the ERP systems of mid-sized and large companies.

EDT (Weexa Group) offers electronic invoicing and B2B flow automation solutions (iPaaS, API, web portals, PDP) in France and internationally.

Septeo is a leading European software group, providing AI-driven e-invoicing and financial management solutions to help businesses go beyond compliance and optimize financial performance.