The first tax audit arrives, and the French tax authorities ask for the FEC. That is often the moment a company finds out whether the NetSuite France Localization was properly installed… or merely installed.
The France Localization is not just an “Install” button. It has prerequisites, an installation order to follow, and a configuration that directly determines whether your FEC, your VAT returns and your financial statements are compliant.
At SuiteVise, we install and configure this localization on our NetSuite projects in France. Here is the practical guide, step by step, with the pitfalls we see most often. To understand what a localization is in general (bundle, SuiteApp, cost), start with our guide to NetSuite localizations.
What is the NetSuite France Localization for?
The France Localization is a SuiteApp developed by NetSuite to adapt the ERP to French requirements. According to Oracle’s documentation, companies based in France need it to generate a compliant FEC (Fichier des Écritures Comptables), the accounting entries file that any company keeping computerized accounts must be able to provide.
Among other things, it provides:
- A chart of accounts template with the accounts and subaccounts of the French chart of accounts (Plan Comptable Général, or PCG).
- The FEC, generated with or without SuiteTax, along with a lettrage report that shows which transactions are matched together.
- Checks on account number formats and transaction memos, and reports in a validated version aligned with FEC requirements.
- Reports that comply with French accounting rules, including financial statements with the Country-Specific Reports SuiteApp.
- French tax returns, such as the CA3 VAT return, the DEB (declaration of exchange of goods) and the DES (European services declaration).
- Payment templates in French bank formats, with the Electronic Bank Payments SuiteApp.
It is a managed bundle: NetSuite updates it automatically whenever improvements are released.
Note: electronic invoicing, which is being rolled out in France since September 2026, is not part of the France Localization. NetSuite handles it in its electronic invoicing SuiteApps, together with an approved platform (plateforme agréée).
Prerequisites before installing the France Localization
Required SuiteApps
The only SuiteApp required before the France Localization is EMEA Localization, the common foundation of the European country localizations.
Other features require additional SuiteApps. If you plan to use them, install them before EMEA Localization and France Localization:
| Feature you need | SuiteApp to install |
|---|---|
| FEC and SuiteTax-based French tax reports | Tax Reporting Framework |
| French financial statements | Country-Specific Reports |
| French electronic bank payment templates | Electronic Bank Payments |
Important: the FEC is generated from the Country Tax Report page, which is part of the Tax Reporting Framework. For a French company, this SuiteApp is therefore essential in practice.
Features to enable
Go to Setup > Company > Setup Tasks > Enable Features and check:
| Tab | Feature | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Company (International) | Multi-Language | Makes French available in the language preferences |
| Accounting | GL Audit Numbering | Required for the France reports to be available |
| SuiteCloud | Custom Records | Required for custom records such as report templates and precalculated balances |
| SuiteCloud | Advanced PDF/HTML Templates | Prerequisite for the SuiteApp pages, such as the overview page |
| SuiteCloud | Client SuiteScript | Required for the client-side scripts of the financial statements |
| SuiteCloud | Server SuiteScript | Required to install bundles |
Then click Save.
Preferences to set
- Account numbers: in Setup > Accounting > Preferences > Accounting Preferences, General tab, check Use Account Numbers, then save.
- Accounting periods: in Setup > Accounting > Manage G/L > Manage Accounting Periods, click Set Up Full Year, fill in the required fields, then save.
- Languages: in Setup > Company > Preferences > General Preferences, Languages tab, select French (France) (or French (Canada)) and English (International), then save.
Decisions to make upfront
- Your chart of accounts: either your primary chart of accounts follows the PCG, or you use an accounting context for France, which maps your accounts to their French equivalents. The second option is often chosen by international groups whose chart of accounts follows group standards.
- Your tax engine (Legacy Tax or SuiteTax): it determines how the VAT reports are configured. For example, the reports that help declare VAT on a cash basis (sur encaissement) and on an accrual basis (sur les débits) are not compatible with SuiteTax.
Installing the France Localization, step by step
The full order
- Enable the features: Multi-Language, GL Audit Numbering, Custom Records, Advanced PDF/HTML Templates, Client SuiteScript and Server SuiteScript.
- Set the preferences: account numbers, accounting periods for the full year, and languages.
- Install the additional SuiteApps you need: Tax Reporting Framework (essential for the FEC and SuiteTax reports), then, depending on your needs, Country-Specific Reports and Electronic Bank Payments.
- Install EMEA Localization.
- Install France Localization.
- Open the France Localization overview page and run the updates it flags.
This order is not a detail. Oracle’s documentation states that installing in the wrong order causes problems when generating the saved searches needed for tax calculations, especially with SuiteTax.
Installing the France Localization
- With the Administrator role, go to Customization > SuiteBundler > Search & Install Bundles.
- In the Keywords field, enter “France Localization” or the bundle ID, 143437.
- Click Search, then the France Localization link.
- On the bundle details page, click Install.
- If the Tax Reporting Framework is already installed, check the Existing Object in Conflict column on the preview page. If there is a conflict, choose Replace Existing Object in the Action column.
- Confirm the installation.
EMEA Localization is installed the same way, by searching for “EMEA Localization”.
Check with the overview page
Once the installation is complete, go to Setup > France Localization > France Localization Overview. This page shows, component by component, what is installed, what is missing and what needs updating.
If a component shows the Update Required status, click Update: the France Localization then imports the components of the other installed SuiteApps (Tax Reporting Framework, Country-Specific Reports or Electronic Bank Payments). Oracle presents this update as the way to avoid uninstalling, which deletes data.
After installation: the configuration that makes the difference
Installation only takes a few minutes. Configuration, on the other hand, takes method.
- Set up the French chart of accounts. Use the template provided (Setup > France Localization > France Chart of Accounts) or an accounting context for France. Standard roles have access to it; a custom role must be added to the audience of the related script deployment.
- Configure the FEC. The France Localization configuration page has a subtab dedicated to the FEC: fiscal year opening entries, and French translations of custom transaction types, used for the FEC labels. The page also offers an option that checks for accounting periods left open.
- Run GL numbering. Before generating an FEC, sequential numbering of entries (GL Audit Numbering) must be enabled and the sequences run. Otherwise, file generation fails.
- Generate the FEC from the right page. The FEC is produced in Reports > Tax > Country Tax Reports: choose the French subsidiary, the report and the period (and, if needed, the accounting context), then run the generation. You receive an email each time. The former method, through the Tax Audit Files SuiteApp, now only applies to fiscal years 2022 and earlier.
- Configure the VAT returns. Set up the CA3 return. With Legacy Tax, the localization also provides reports that help declare VAT on a cash or accrual basis, depending on the nature of the transactions; they require tax codes specific to each basis and the International Tax Reports SuiteApp.
- Set up payments. If you use Electronic Bank Payments, configure your banks’ credit transfer and direct debit formats.
- Test a full FEC in a sandbox. Generate an FEC for a real period and have your chartered accountant check it, ideally with a control tool such as Test Compta Demat from the French tax authorities (DGFiP), before you need it for a tax audit.
The pitfalls we see most often
- Installing in the wrong order. It is the most common cause of VAT reports that do not work, especially with SuiteTax. The right reflex: use the overview page and Update, rather than uninstalling.
- Uninstalling to “start from scratch”. Uninstalling deletes data. Avoid it, especially in production.
- A chart of accounts that looks like the PCG… without being it. Approximate numbers, non-compliant labels: the FEC will be generated, but it will not pass an audit.
- Forgetting GL numbering. Without sequences run, the FEC cannot be generated.
- Never testing the FEC. Many companies discover the anomalies in their FEC on the day of the tax audit. At least one test a year avoids unpleasant surprises.
- Editing standard objects directly. The localization is a managed bundle, updated automatically: a change made directly to one of its objects may be overwritten. Use the extension mechanisms provided instead.
- Assuming the localization covers everything. Electronic invoicing, some specific returns and industry needs require additional solutions.
Frequently asked questions
Is the NetSuite France Localization mandatory?
For a company based in France, it is needed to generate a compliant FEC, required as soon as accounts are kept on a computer system. It also provides the chart of accounts template, the reports and the French VAT returns.
What are the prerequisites of the France Localization?
The only required SuiteApp is EMEA Localization, but the Tax Reporting Framework is needed for the FEC and SuiteTax-based reports. You also need to enable Multi-Language, GL Audit Numbering, Custom Records, Advanced PDF/HTML Templates, Client SuiteScript and Server SuiteScript, then set account numbers, accounting periods and languages.
In what order should the SuiteApps be installed?
After enabling the features and setting the preferences: first the additional SuiteApps (Tax Reporting Framework, then Country-Specific Reports and Electronic Bank Payments if needed), then EMEA Localization, and finally France Localization.
Does the France Localization cost anything?
It is developed by NetSuite and delivered as a managed bundle, updated automatically. As we explain in our guide to localizations, localizations developed by NetSuite generally do not require an additional license: check your contract. Configuration, however, is a service cost.
Does the FEC work with SuiteTax?
Yes. The France Localization FEC can be generated with or without SuiteTax, from the Country Tax Report page of the Tax Reporting Framework.
Does the France Localization handle electronic invoicing?
No. Electronic invoicing relies on NetSuite’s electronic invoicing SuiteApps and on an approved platform.
In short: minutes to install, real method to configure
The France Localization is the foundation of any NetSuite project in France. Installing it is simple, as long as you follow the prerequisites and the SuiteApp order. Its value, however, depends on the configuration: chart of accounts, numbering, FEC and VAT return setup.
Starting NetSuite in France, or want to check that your FEC would pass a tax audit? SuiteVise offers an audit of your France Localization: prerequisites, installation, configuration and FEC testing. Let’s take 30 minutes to talk about it.