Poland’s E-invoice Mandate Will Kick in February 2026 — Are You Ready?

If you've been following Poland's push toward mandatory e-invoicing, you know it's been quite a rollercoaster. When the government first rolled out KSeF (that's the Krajowy System e-Faktur, or National e-Invoicing System), everyone thought 2024 would be the year Poland finally went fully digital with invoicing. But things didn't quite go according to plan.

After reviewing the system and listening to what businesses had to say, the Ministry of Finance paused and pushed everything back to 2026. Not ideal, but probably the right call.

What Happened to the 2024 Launch?

Originally, the plan was to get all B2B e-invoicing running through KSeF starting July 2024. However, when they started testing it, problems cropped up everywhere. The system couldn't handle the load, testing capacity was limited, and users kept reporting issues.

Rather than force everyone onto a shaky platform, the Ministry decided to take a step back. Here's the new timeline they've laid out:

• February 1, 2026 – Big companies first (those pulling in over 200 million PLN annually)
• April 1, 2026 – Everyone else who's VAT-registered
• January 1, 2027 – Even the smallest micro-entrepreneurs join in

This gives companies some breathing room to get their systems ready instead of scrambling at the last minute.

But Wait, You Can Already Use It

Here's something people sometimes miss: KSeF has been up and running since January 2022. It's just been voluntary. Some Polish businesses are already using it, and there are real benefits—simpler archiving, automatic audit trails, and sometimes even faster VAT refunds. We're talking about cutting the refund period from 60 days down to 40 if you meet certain conditions.

Sure, it's optional now, but starting February 2026, if you're in scope, you won't have a choice. The smart move? Start using it now. Get comfortable with the system while there's no pressure, and you'll be ahead when the deadline hits.

Check Out GEP’s – AI Powered E-Invoice Software 

What's Changed in KSeF 2.0

Mid-2025 brought some welcome updates. The Polish tax authority released what everyone's calling KSeF 2.0—basically a refined version with a better XML schema and clearer documentation. Some of the standout improvements are:

No Connection to Operations 

A generic tool sees an email. It doesn’t see late shipments, slower QA approvals, or missing certificates. Without tying sentiment to operational behavior, scores lack meaning. 

Offline mode

If the system goes down, you can generate invoices offline and upload them later. That's huge for business continuity.

Attachments

You can now add attachments to invoices. If you're in telecom or utilities, this probably makes your life easier.

Better error messages

When something gets rejected, you'll understand why. This makes fixing issues and automating corrections way more manageable.

Long-term storage

Invoices get stored centrally for up to 10 years. Less burden on you to maintain archives, but everything's still traceable.

These improvements were vital for helping businesses maintain smooth and efficient processes. 

Who Needs to Do This? 

Pretty much every VAT-registered business in Poland—even VAT-exempt entities—as long as you've got a registered office or fixed establishment there. Foreign companies without a Polish presence? You're off the hook, though you can still use KSeF if you want to.

B2C invoices will stay optional. And if you're dealing with B2G transactions, you've already been doing electronic invoicing since 2019 under EU rules anyway.

Why the Delay Matters

Delays like this happen for a reason. The market gave feedback, extensive testing revealed performance issues, and the Ministry wisely decided to commission a technical audit and rebuild the infrastructure. Better to get it right than to force everyone onto a broken system.

But here's the thing: this extra time isn't a free pass to procrastinate. E-invoicing touches everything — sales, procurement, tax reporting, your entire data management setup. If you wait until the last minute, you're setting yourself up for expensive mistakes and compliance headaches.

What You Should Be Doing Right Now

If you're a Polish company or an international group operating there, don't waste this extra time. Here's what to focus on:

Check your current setup

Do your systems even generate XML invoices? Can they connect to KSeF's API? Find out what's missing now, not in 2026.

Get connected early

Plug your ERP or AP/AR systems into KSeF 2.0's test environment. Work out the kinks while the stakes are low.

Clean up your data 

Bad or incomplete VAT data will get rejected. You want to fix master data issues now when you have time, not during a compliance audit.

Train your people 

Your finance and IT teams need to understand how structured invoices work and what the new procedures are. Don't assume they'll just figure it out.

Have a backup plan

What happens if you need to issue invoices offline? How will you handle corrections? What about cross-border situations? Map it all out.

Taking a strategic, phased approach—where you combine technical stuff with change management—will save you massive headaches once this becomes mandatory.

The Big Picture

Despite all the delays, Poland's still moving forward with this. They're joining the group of EU countries adopting continuous transaction controls and real-time e-invoicing. The extended timeline just shows that the government would rather build something solid than force everyone to use something half-baked.

For businesses, think of this delay as an opportunity. You've got time to modernize your invoicing workflows, cut down on manual processes, and strengthen your tax compliance. KSeF should deliver real benefits in the long term. These include better efficiency, more transparency, and stronger fiscal security. That's the whole point of Poland's digital transformation.

How GEP Can Help You Navigate This 

GEP works with enterprises getting ready for Poland's 2026 e-invoicing mandate. Whether you need integration support, compliance monitoring, or process optimization, we help you adapt to KSeF requirements smoothly—and turn regulatory compliance into a competitive advantage.

We offer a complete invoicing solution for companies operating in Poland's e-invoice environment. Here's how it works: we connect your ERP and billing systems directly to KSeF, handling all the technical complexity—data transformation, validation, secure transmission, receipt confirmation (UPO), compliant archiving, everything. You keep your existing invoice workflows; we handle the regulatory requirements behind the scenes. No custom integrations to build or maintain.

On the receiving end, we retrieve and convert incoming invoices from KSeF into whatever format you need, feeding them directly into your AP environment or workflow automation tools. 

One connection to GEP gives you full inbound and outbound invoice automation. No supplier disruption, no downtime. The result? A streamlined, standardized invoice process across your entire organization with less manual work, better data accuracy, and fully compliant processing at every step.