France has issued guidance clarifying VAT obligations for dropshippers who do not use the IOSS scheme. The ruling specifies that parcels below €150 are cleared in the final destination Member State and the seller is not liable for French VAT, while parcels above €150 trigger import VAT liability in France. It also outlines conditions under which the customer or seller bears import VAT when goods are delivered within France and requires non‑EU sellers to register and possibly appoint a French tax representative.
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SoftCo · about 17 hours ago
France confirms the e-invoicing mandate will take effect on 1 September 2026. The soft-penalty window has been extended to 31 December 2026, and transitional guidance was issued on 11 July 2026 to assist late-compliant businesses.
Avalara · 1 day ago
France's e-invoicing mandate will roll out on 1 September 2026, requiring all businesses to receive compliant e-invoices and larger firms to issue them. The mandate also mandates structured formats such as Factur-X, UBL and CII, and requires use of state-registered approved platforms.
VAT IT · 1 day ago
France requires non-EU businesses to appoint a fiscal representative for VAT compliance. New accreditation rules demand financial solvency or a bank guarantee and a clean record. Failure to comply can lead to penalties and liability.
SniTechnology · 3 days ago
France confirms that the September 2026 e-invoicing mandate will proceed as scheduled, with updated technical standards released by AFNOR. The update introduces a new self-billing scenario for agriculture and expands documented use cases from 44 to 45.
Tradeshift · 5 days ago
France's e-invoicing mandate will take effect on 1 September 2026, requiring all registered companies to issue and receive e-invoices and large and mid-sized firms to report electronically. The final technical guidelines from AFNOR and the AIFE's external specifications have been released, while the pilot phase shows low participation rates.
EINPresswire · 6 days ago
France's e-invoicing pilot program begins on 1 September 2026, with a voluntary testing phase from February to August 2026. The pilot allows businesses to test mandatory B2B e-invoicing and B2C/cross-border e-reporting before the mandatory deadline. Participation is voluntary but offers insight into data flow between trading partners, accredited platforms and tax authorities.
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Key Takeaways
When goods enter the EU through France, the seller becomes liable for import VAT.
Customs clearance must occur in the final destination Member State; the seller is not liable for French VAT.
If goods arrive directly to the buyer, the sale is not facilitated by an electronic interface, the seller has not opted for IOSS, and the import tax base equals the domestic VAT base.
They must register for French VAT and may need to appoint a French tax representative.
Primary source
Read the full article at VatCalcThis summary was published on VATfaqs.com on 11 March 2026. It relates to VAT developments in France. The original source is VatCalc.
