Businesses located in France might operate outside the French-speaking market. As a result, your operations might involve partnering with businesses or clients who are more fluent in English than in French.

In this situation, you can translate your documents—especially invoices—into English, as long as they still comply with French legal requirements. Being able to invoice in English shows flexibility and a readiness to seize international opportunities. This article covers how to create an invoice for customers who speak English.

What’s in this article?

• Why draft an invoice in English?
  
• What information do you need on an invoice in English?
  
• What terminology should you use on an invoice in English?
  
• Which currency should you use on an invoice in English?
  
• How to calculate VAT on a translated invoice
  

Why draft an invoice in English?

Even though French is used across six of the seven continents, it’s not the most commonly spoken language worldwide. In certain settings, suppliers and customers are more fluent in English, which is the common language of global business.

Businesses both large and small in France can choose to issue invoices in English. If you often work with English speakers—or if the person receiving your invoice does not understand French—it might be wise to write your invoices in English.

Issuing invoices in English offers several benefits for a French business, especially when it comes to convenience and building trust with international clients.

• Compliance and clarity: Using English aligns with international norms and makes communication clearer with businesses that don’t speak French.

• International transactions: Using English shows professionalism suited to a global audience and can help accelerate payment processes.

• Trust: Clear invoices help prevent mistakes and strengthen loyalty among international clients.

It’s also important to note that around 1.5 billion people worldwide speak English as their first or second language, compared to 321 million who speak French. Therefore, it is beneficial for a business looking to expand beyond France to know how to write invoices in English.

What information do you need on an invoice in English?

An invoice in English must contain the same information as an invoice in French. Just follow the steps for creating a deposit invoice, pro forma invoice, or paid invoice, then translate your version into English.

For an invoice to be valid in France, it must include the seller’s contact details:

• Name
  
• Business name
  
• Registration number
  
• Business Directory Identification System (SIREN) number
  
• Business address
  

It should also include the customer’s information:

• Name
  
• Business name
  
• Billing address
  

The invoice also needs to detail the service provided or the product sold, along with the amount due before tax. For businesses subject to value-added tax (VAT), the invoice must show the VAT rate, VAT amount, and total price including tax. For businesses not subject to VAT, the invoice must include the note: “VAT/service tax not applicable, Art. 293 B of the French Tax Code.” This indicates the exemption. All of these details must then be translated into English.

What terminology should you use on an invoice in English?

An English invoice is a translated version of an original French one. Certain elements—such as the name and date—will be simple to translate.

For other terms, the translation could be less straightforward. Here are some translations that can help make your English invoice easier to read:

Which type of English should be used?

Even though English is a global language, it does have regional differences.

You should be especially careful with the date format to avoid confusion between the “day/month” style used in British English and the “month/day” format common in American English. For instance, writing 5/3/2025 could be read as March 5 or May 3, depending on the country. To prevent confusion, it’s better to write out the full date instead (e.g., “March 5, 2025”).

Also, keep in mind that VAT is commonly called “value-added tax” or simply “VAT” in Europe. In the US, it’s usually referred to as “tax” or “service tax.”

Other differences in spelling and terminology between regional English varieties usually won’t cause confusion on invoices.

Which currency should you use on an invoice in English?

You can issue invoices in any currency you choose, no matter the language. If you decide to use your customer’s local currency, you should also show the equivalent amount in euros, along with the exchange rate and date of conversion. This date can match the invoice issue date.

How to calculate VAT on a translated invoice

The VAT rate that applies depends on several important factors, including the seller’s and buyer’s countries of residence and the specific type of goods or services being sold.

For transactions between one business in France and another within the EU, you must use the VAT One Stop Shop (IOSS). The VAT rate that applies is based on the country where the product or service is used.

For transactions with countries outside the EU, exports are usually exempt from VAT. You can simply state that VAT does not apply by including the note: “VAT not applicable, Art. 293 B of the French Tax Code.”

Stripe Invoicing makes it easy to create and send your invoices. This tool lets you select the currency, calculate VAT, and handle invoices in English to streamline your operations.