Freelancers paid in crypto: from invoice to accounting records
Published 10/12/2025 · Updated 08/09/2026 · Houssen Issouf Aly, French chartered accountant
Crypto-assets · Companies · Directors
Practical guidance for companies and directors. Revised on 7 September 2026.
Start with the service and your business status
A client wants to pay your invoice in crypto. Start with the work, agreed price and identities of both parties. Being a sole trader, micro-business or company still matters when payment reaches a wallet. Professional revenue should not automatically be treated as a private investor’s capital gain.
Identify who invoices and who receives the funds. If your company performs the work, the account and evidence should establish the company’s ownership. A director’s personal account is not a neutral substitute.
The payment method does not remove invoice information requirements. VAT depends on the service, customer and applicable regime. A blockchain address does not replace the customer’s identity or place of establishment.
Agree the payment process before invoicing
Define the process before the due date:
- Reference price: for example, an agreed euro amount converted using a specified source and time.
- Asset and network: exact asset, supported network, receiving address and any additional identifier.
- Charges: who pays them and the amount required to settle the invoice.
- Checks: address verification through an agreed channel, receipt confirmation and partial payments.
- Exceptions: an expired quote, late payment, wrong network, refund and alternative settlement.
Use a network both parties actually support. Do not introduce a bridge merely to compensate for unclear payment instructions. A small initial test can supplement checks, but it does not guarantee the safety of later transactions.
Keep or convert the proceeds?
Consider euro expenses and upcoming liabilities before retaining exposure. A stablecoin still presents issuer, mechanism, network and redemption risks. The choice affects cash planning and the records required.
Connect the invoice, assets and fees
Simplified example: a service taxable in France is invoiced at €1,000 excluding VAT, plus €200 VAT, making €1,200 payable. The client sends the agreed crypto equivalent. A provider converts immediately and retains €12 in fees, leaving €1,188 in the bank. This illustration assumes no additional conversion price difference.
The file should explain the €1,200 settlement, €12 charge and €1,188 receipt. Net bank proceeds do not replace the sales amount. If assets are retained and sold later, document that subsequent transaction separately. The example expressly assumes 20% VAT; exempt activities and other regimes require different treatment.
Monthly records
- Invoices, credit notes, customers and assignments.
- Payment identifiers, dates, quantities, assets and networks.
- Complete exports from business wallets and providers.
- Conversion statements and fee evidence.
- Part-paid invoices and unexplained differences.
- A distinction between customer receipts and transfers between your own accounts.
Do not send private keys. Exports and public addresses support reconciliation, together with the documents required for your engagement.
Frequently asked questions
Should the software come first?
Define the transactions and expected records first. Then test an invoice, payment, fee, conversion, refund and export from start to finish. Recognising a token does not establish its tax treatment.
Is a PDF invoice always sufficient?
Requirements depend on the scope of the reform. See our electronic invoicing guide and the official timetable.
Does a foreign wallet determine the place of supply?
Identify the actual customer and relevant location rules. The technical payment address does not answer the question.
What if I become an employee?
Do not carry invoice arrangements over to payroll. Our Bitcoin and salary guide explains the distinction. For your independent business, explore crypto payment support.