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Certyneo
Accountants & payroll firms

Electronic signature for accountants and payroll firms

Engagement letters, certificates, minutes of approval, payslips, social declarations, management mandates: digitize all documents signed by your firm and clients with eIDAS proof level. Compliant with ordinance no. 45-2138, the OEC Code of Ethics, the Commercial Code, the Labor Code (art. L3243-2) and the eIDAS regulation.

Use cases in accounting and payroll firms

All contractual documents of an accounting and payroll firm can be signed electronically, from the engagement letter to the individual social declaration.

Engagement letter

Required under article 151 of the Code of Ethics, the engagement letter must be signed by the client BEFORE the service begins. Remote signature in 2 minutes, qualified timestamp proving prior acceptance of terms and fees.

Accountant''s certificate

Certificates for banks (turnover, debt capacity), social agencies (URSSAF), landlords or authorities. AES signature + audit trail = proof of authenticity that can be opposed.

Minutes of approval of annual accounts

Minutes of ordinary general meeting (article L232-1 of the Commercial Code), with sequential or parallel signature of partners. Automatic maintenance of digitized PV register.

Digitized payslip

Compliant with article L3243-2 of the Labor Code (from the 2015 Macron law) and decree no. 2016-1762. Delivery in a compliant digital safe, presumed employee consent — express refusal possible at any time.

Social and tax management mandate

Mandates by which the client entrusts the firm with management of social (DSN) and tax (VAT, corporate tax, land tax) declarations. Advanced signature to identify the mandator and trace the precise scope of the mandate.

Service agreements and client commitments

Confidentiality commitments, service agreements outside the engagement letter, outsourcing agreements between firms: the entire contractual scope of the firm is covered.

Why Certyneo for an accounting firm

Six guarantees specifically adapted to the ethical and probative requirements of the accountant profession.

Strong client identification

OTP SMS + email verification of signatory, qualified timestamp, SHA-256 fingerprint of document. The audit trail covers all Code of Ethics requirements for formalizing commitments.

Opposable audit trail

Each envelope produces a signature certificate: OTP identity, IP, qualified timestamp, SHA-256 hash, integrated into the signed PDF. Admissible before the Order Council, in fee disputes and before all courts.

Professional confidentiality respected

TLS 1.3 encryption in transit, AES-256 at rest, strict data isolation by firm. 100% EU hosting (Germany), no outsourcing outside the EU. Standard DPA included, compliant with professional confidentiality under article 8 of ordinance 45-2138.

Archiving compliant with accounting retention periods

10-year archiving included with probative value (article L123-22 of the Commercial Code — accounting records retention period). Full export at any time for transmission to a successor or tax audit.

Conforme eIDAS — niveau avancé (AES)

Signature avancée conforme au règlement (UE) n°910/2014. Pour les actes exigeant le niveau qualifié (QES — actes authentiques), notre roadmap intègre un prestataire QTSP partenaire.

Integration with professional software

Public REST API, event webhooks, and integrations underway with major accounting production software (CEGID, ACD, RCA, ISACOMPTA, QuadraCompta). Compatible with your existing stack.

Probative value for an accounting firm

The probative value of an electronic signature in an accounting firm depends on two fronts: demonstrating the client''s informed consent to the engagement letter (article 151 of the Code of Ethics) and establishing the authenticity of certificates issued under article L823-12-1 of the Commercial Code.

Certyneo delivers for each signature an audit certificate integrated into the PDF, which groups technical evidence:

  • Signatory identity (email + phone number verified by OTP)
  • Qualified timestamp of each action (send, view, sign, refusal)
  • SHA-256 cryptographic fingerprint of signed document
  • IP and rough geolocation of signatory at time of signature
  • Detailed log of reminders and notifications

This body of evidence meets the requirements of article 1366 of the Civil Code (probative force of electronic writing) and is recognized by French case law (Cass. com., March 13, 2019). For certificates addressed to a third party (bank, URSSAF, landlord), the audit trail provides proof of authenticity of the document issued by the firm.

OEC compliance, Commercial Code and eIDAS

Certyneo fits within the legal and ethical framework applicable to the accountant profession.

OEC Code of Ethics

Article 151 of the Code of Ethics requires a written engagement letter prior to any service. Article 145 governs the confidentiality of client data. Certyneo applies end-to-end encryption and probative value archiving compatible with these obligations.

Commercial Code — art. L123-12 and L823-12-1

Article L123-12 sets accounting obligations for merchants; article L823-12-1 governs certificates issued by statutory auditors. Certyneo''s advanced signature meets the authenticity and integrity requirements of these provisions.

Labor Code — art. L3243-2 (payslip)

Since the Macron law of August 6, 2015, the employer may provide the payslip in electronic form under conditions guaranteeing its integrity, availability for 50 years (or until age 75 of the employee) and data confidentiality.

Article 1366 of the Civil Code & eIDAS regulation

Electronic writing has the same probative force as paper writing when the signatory''s identity can be duly established and document integrity is guaranteed. Certyneo''s advanced signature (AES) satisfies both requirements under regulation (EU) no.910/2014.

Frequently asked questions from accounting firms

Can an accountant''s engagement letter be signed electronically?

Yes, without restriction. Article 151 of the Code of Ethics requires prior writing but prescribes no particular form. Certyneo''s advanced signature (AES) meets the probative requirement, with the advantage of precisely timestamping acceptance of fees and engagement scope BEFORE service begins.

What is the value of an accountant''s certificate signed electronically against a bank?

A certificate signed electronically with AES level (Certyneo) has identical value to a hand-signed certificate on paper with stamp. The recipient (bank, URSSAF, landlord) can verify the audit trail from the verification URL included in the PDF certificate — they see the signatory''s identity, date, and absence of document alteration.

Is the digitized payslip mandatory for all employees?

Since the Macron law (January 1, 2017), the employer may provide the payslip in electronic form without prior employee agreement, provided the employee was informed at least one month in advance and retention conditions are met (50 years or until age 75 of the employee). The employee may object at any time.

How long must an engagement letter be retained?

Article L123-22 of the Commercial Code requires retention of accounting documents for 10 years. As a precaution, the same period applies to engagement letters, which serve as proof of fee acceptance in case of dispute. 10-year archiving is included in all Certyneo plans.

Does Certyneo integrate with my accounting production software?

A public REST API is available with event webhooks (envelope.signed, recipient.signed, etc.). Native integrations with major accounting software (CEGID, ACD, RCA, ISACOMPTA, QuadraCompta) are being deployed. Contact us for exact status on your solution.

Is the accountant''s professional confidentiality respected?

Oui. Certyneo applique un chiffrement TLS 1.3 en transit et AES-256 au repos, une isolation stricte par cabinet, et un hébergement 100 % UE (Allemagne, IONOS) sans sous-traitance hors UE. Une DPA conforme GDPR est disponible et intègre les clauses spécifiques au secret professionnel de l'article 8 de l'ordonnance 45-2138.

Can a GM meeting minutes be signed by multiple partners via electronic signature?

Yes. Certyneo natively handles sequential or parallel signatures between multiple signatories. Each partner receives their personal link with OTP SMS on their own number. The single audit trail groups all signatures and timestamps, facilitating maintenance of the digitized PV register.

How much does electronic signature cost for an accounting firm?

A free plan allows testing on 5 envelopes per month. Beyond that, paid plans start at a price compatible with client billing (re-billing possible). The price includes 10-year archiving, eIDAS audit trail and technical support.

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