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September 2026 is less than a year away.
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And if you have a sireate number, this
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electronic invoicing reform applies to
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you. It doesn't matter what legal
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structure you have. It doesn't matter
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what VAT regime you're under. And it
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doesn't matter whether your activity is
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VAT exempt or not. As long as you have a
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CY number, you have an obligation to
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meet before that date. Today, I'm going
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to show you how to be compliant in less
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than 5 minutes for free using the tool I
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personally use for this. The link is in
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the description, yb.digital/go/indy.
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So in practical terms, what happens in
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September 2026? There is a first
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requirement called the receipt
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obligation. And this requirement is
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actually very easy to understand. But
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Indie is also much more than just an
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approved platform. It's a full invoicing
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and accounting tool. On the free
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version, you can create your quotes and
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invoices, customize them, send them
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directly from the platform, receive
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electronic invoices, and track your
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bookkeeping if you sync your business
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bank account. And this really applies to
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everyone. micro entrepreneurs under the
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VAT exemption threshold with no VAT
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returns. VAT exempt activities such as
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physiootherapists or trainers, furnished
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rental businesses, property holding
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companies, freelancers, consultants, it
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doesn't matter. As soon as you have a cy
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number, this obligation applies to you.
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An electronic invoice is not a PDF sent
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by email. It is an invoice in a
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structured standardized format that only
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goes through approved platforms. The
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content is exactly the same as a
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standard invoice with just two
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additional details. the client's sireate
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number and the transaction category.
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That's all. It's not a revolution. It's
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just a new transmission channel. And
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from September 2026, large companies and
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medium-sized businesses will be required
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to issue their invoices through this
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system. Which means that if you buy
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something from a large retailer, for
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example, professional equipment from a
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store like FAC, you may receive their
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invoice directly in your approved
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platform without having to look for it
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in your email. Your only obligation is
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to have chosen this approved platform so
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you're ready to receive invoices. That's
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it. And that's all for September 2026. I
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use Indie because it's free, because
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it's compliant, and because it's simple.
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Indie is an official approved platform.
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It appears on the list of approved
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platforms referenced by the French tax
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authorities. It has the necessary
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security certifications, including ISO
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27,0001 to ensure that your data and
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information are transmitted properly to
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the tax administration. But Indie is
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also much more than just an approved
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platform. It's a full invoicing and
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accounting tool. On the free version,
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you can create your quotes and invoices,
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customize them, send them directly from
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the platform, receive electronic
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invoices, and track your bookkeeping if
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you sync your business bank account. And
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for bank synchronization, Indie is
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compatible with the main French banks.
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If you're looking for a business account
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suited to independent professionals, I
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also have a link in the description for
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that. yb.digital/bank. digital/bank,
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but whichever bank you use, Indie will
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work with it. You don't need anything
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else to get started. And if you want to
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go further, there are paid options, but
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they are absolutely not necessary for
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the September obligation. So, I click
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the link in the description to create my
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India account and I land on the signup
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page. I enter my email address, create
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my password, and then I'm asked why I'm
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here. I simply select I'm here for
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electronic invoicing and confirm. In
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just a few seconds, the account is
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created. I enter the basic information
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about my business, my cyret number, my
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legal structure, and that's it. It's
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simple. It takes 3 minutes maximum. Keep
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in mind that choosing an approved
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platform is not irreversible. You can
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change your receiving approved platform
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just like you change mobile phone
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providers. So, if you choose Indie now
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and want to switch in 6 months, that's
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possible and it's free. Once you're
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logged in, the approved platform is not
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activated automatically. That's
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intentional because Indie needs your
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explicit consent to register you as a
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recipient of electronic invoices. No
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approved platform can do that without
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your consent. To activate it, it's very
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simple. I go to the invoicing tab in the
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menu. If I don't see it, I click on my
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initials at the top left, go to my
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business, and in my profile details, I
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find approved platform. I click on it,
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follow the steps, and at the end,
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there's a quick electronic signature to
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complete. It literally takes two to
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three minutes, and that's it. I'm
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compliant for September 2026. Uh, from
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that moment on in Indy's documents tab,
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a new received invoices section appears.
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That's where all the electronic invoices
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you receive will automatically arrive.
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Let's see what happens when you receive
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an electronic invoice in documents. Then
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received invoices. Invoices appear there
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automatically without you having to do
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anything. As long as your supplier has
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your sire number, they know which
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approved platform to send the invoice
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to. They do not need to know Indie
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specifically. They get that information
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through the central directory. the PPF,
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the public invoicing portal. And what is
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really convenient here is the match
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button on the right of each received
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invoice. In one click, Indie will
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suggest linking that invoice to an
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expense in your transactions tab with
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the correct amount. Your bookkeeping
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updates almost automatically, no manual
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entry. And if a supplier still sends you
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a standard invoice by email, that's not
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your problem. You collect that invoice,
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enter it manually in your accounting as
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usual, and it is their responsibility to
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comply with their issuing obligation.
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You have fulfilled your obligation as
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long as your approved platform is
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activated. Now, let's move on to issuing
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invoices. Even though for September
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2026, small businesses are not yet
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required to issue electronic invoices,
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nothing stops you from doing it right
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now if your client is a business in
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France. In the invoicing tab, I click on
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new invoice. I enter the client's
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details. The cyet number is now a
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mandatory field for electronic invoices.
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I add the services or products, the
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amounts, and customize the invoice if
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needed. On the free version, there is no
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limit on the number of invoices. I can
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send them directly by email from Indie
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or download them, and when I eventually
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become required to issue electronic
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invoices, Indie will handle it
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automatically by routing the invoice
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through the correct channel. It's
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completely transparent for me. I create
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my invoice as usual, and Indie handles
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the format and the transmission channel.
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Here are a few cases that come up often.
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If you're under the VAT exemption
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threshold, the receipt obligation still
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applies. Your VAT regime changes
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nothing. If your activity is VAT exempt,
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such as trainer, doctor, or
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physiotherapist, the receipt obligation
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also applies. The only thing you will
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not have to do is issue electronic
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invoices because your activity is
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exempt, but you still need to have an
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approved platform to receive them. For
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small expenses such as restaurants,
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cafes, gas stations, or tolls, there are
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tolerances below €150 at a restaurant,
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for example. A standard invoice is still
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accepted. For tolls and gas stations,
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there is no electronic invoicing
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obligation either. For property holding
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companies and furnished rental
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businesses, the receipt obligation
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applies unless you provide the property
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free of charge to one of the partners.
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That is the only exception. For
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nonprofit associations under the 1901
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law and for private individuals, there
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is no obligation. The reform does not
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apply to them. And if you are not ready
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on September 1st, there will first be
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formal notices, not an immediate fine,
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but you might as well do it now. It's
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free. It takes 5 minutes and then you're
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all set. A quick word on the plans.
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There are three of them. The essential
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version is the free one. It includes
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full invoicing, the approved platform,
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receiving electronic invoices, and basic
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accounting tracking if you sync your
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business bank account. For bank
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synchronization, India is recommended
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with French banks suited to
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self-employed professionals. You'll find
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my recommendations at the link
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The premium version includes all of
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that, plus integrated tax filing and
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priority access to support to get
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started. The free version is more than
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enough. You can always upgrade later if
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you need to. That's how simple it is. In
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5 minutes, you create your India
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account, activate the approved platform,
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and you're compliant for September 2026
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for free. You do not need to be an
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accountant. You do not need to
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understand every detail of the reform.
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The concrete obligation for you is just
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this, to have chosen a receiving
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approved platform before September 2026.
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And once that's done, you're covered.
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Both links are in the description.
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to create your Indie account and
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If you're also looking for a compatible
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business account. If you have questions
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about electronic invoicing or about
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Indie, leave them in the comments. I
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reply. And if this video helped you,
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consider sharing it with other business
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owners around you who may not be aware
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of this yet. See you soon.
