New legal requirements for French retailers
On February 14, 2025, the French government passed a decisive amendment to the law on combating VAT fraud. This change removes the previous option of self-certification for cash register systems. Instead, all cash register systems operated in France must now be certified by one of the two official bodies—Infocert or LNE (Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais).
This change affects all companies that use cash register systems in France, regardless of industry or company size. After a transition period of 60 days, legal consequences and penalties will apply for non-compliance.
Changes to the legal text
Specifically, the following passages in French tax law have been amended:
- In Article 286, paragraph 3, the words “or by an individual certificate issued by the issuer in accordance with a model established by the administration” have been deleted.
- In Article 1770 Duodecies, paragraph 1, the phrase “of the certificate or” is deleted.
These changes make it clear that the previous practice of legitimizing cash register systems through an informal self-declaration is no longer permissible. Only systems with official certification are now considered legally compliant.
Impact on the market
The new regulation poses major challenges for many retailers. The switch to certified systems requires not only technical adjustments, but also close cooperation with certified providers. At the same time, however, it also offers an opportunity to modernize processes and gain legal certainty.
RetailForce Software GmbH was quick off the mark: a POS system for the French market was recently certified in Toulouse. Our experience shows how complex these requirements are, but also how they can be met—especially with an experienced partner at your side.