KPI ak SLA i SOW: penalti long retard conformable L441-10
Mileston, indicator long performance, penalti long retard: structure iyi clauses i SOW protect your payments ak secure your commercial relations. Discover the complete guide.
9 min
Chartered accountants & payroll firms
Electronic signature for chartered accountants and payroll firms
Engagement letters, certificates, minutes of approval, pay slips, social declarations, management mandates: dematerialize all documents signed by your firm and your clients with eIDAS level of proof. Compliant with ordinance no. 45-2138, the Code of Professional Ethics of the Order, 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 electronically signed, from the engagement letter to the individual social declaration.
Engagement letter
Mandatory under article 151 of the Code of Professional Ethics, the engagement letter must be signed by the client BEFORE the service begins. Remote signature in 2 minutes, qualified timestamp that proves prior acceptance of terms and fees.
Chartered accountant certificate
Certificates for banks (turnover, debt capacity), social organizations (URSSAF), landlords or authorities. AES signature + audit trail = proof of authenticity that can be enforced.
Minutes of approval of annual accounts
Minutes of ordinary general meetings (article L232-1 of the Commercial Code), with sequential or parallel signature of partners. Automatic maintenance of dematerialized minutes register.
Dematerialized pay slip
Compliant with article L3243-2 of the Labor Code (from the 2015 Macron law) and decree no. 2016-1762. Available in a compliant digital safe, presumed employee consent — express refusal possible at any time.
Social and tax management mandate
Mandates through which the client entrusts the firm with management of social (DSN) and tax declarations (VAT, corporate tax, local business tax). Advanced signature to identify the mandator and trace the exact scope of the mandate.
Service agreements and client commitments
Confidentiality commitments, service agreements outside the engagement letter, subcontracting agreements between firms: the entire contractual scope of the firm is covered.
Why Certyneo for an accounting firm
Six guarantees specifically adapted to the deontological and probative requirements of the chartered accountancy profession.
Strong client identification
SMS OTP + email verification of signatory, qualified timestamp, SHA-256 fingerprint of document. The audit trail covers all Code of Professional Ethics requirements for formalizing commitments.
Enforceable audit trail
Each envelope produces a signature certificate: OTP identity, IP, qualified timestamp, SHA-256 hash, embedded in the signed PDF. Admissible before the Order Council, in fee disputes and before all courts.
Professional secrecy respected
TLS 1.3 encryption in transit, AES-256 at rest, strict data isolation by firm. 100% EU hosting (Germany), no subcontracting outside EU. Standard DPA included, compliant with professional secrecy of 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 — retention period for accounting records). Complete 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 business software
Public REST API, event webhooks, and ongoing integrations with leading 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 hinges 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 a audit certificate integrated into the PDF, which brings together technical evidence:
- Signatory identity (email + phone number verified by OTP)
- Qualified timestamp of each action (send, view, sign, refuse)
- SHA-256 cryptographic hash of the signed document
- IP and rough geolocation of the signatory at the time of signature
- Detailed log of reminders and notifications
This bundle 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, Commercial Code and eIDAS compliance
Certyneo complies with the legal and ethical framework applicable to the accountancy 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 archiving consistent with these obligations.
Commercial Code — art. L123-12 and L823-12-1
Article L123-12 sets out the accounting obligations of merchants; article L823-12-1 governs certificates issued by statutory auditors. Certyneo''s advanced signature satisfies the authentication and integrity requirements of these provisions.
Labor Code — art. L3243-2 (payslip)
Since the Macron Act of August 6, 2015, employers may provide the payslip in electronic form under conditions guaranteeing its integrity, availability for 50 years (or until the employee reaches age 75) and the confidentiality of data.
Article 1366 of the Civil Code & eIDAS regulation
Electronic writing has the same probative force as paper writing provided that the identity of the signatory can be duly established and the integrity of the document is guaranteed. Certyneo''s advanced signature (AES) meets these two 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 a prior written document but does not prescribe any particular form. Certyneo''s advanced signature (AES) meets the probative requirement, with the advantage of precisely timestamping acceptance of fees and scope of engagement BEFORE the service begins.
What is the value of an electronically signed accountant''s certificate to a bank?
A certificate signed electronically with AES level (Certyneo) has the same value as a handwritten and stamped paper certificate. 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 tampering.
Is the dematerialized payslip mandatory for all employees?
Since the Macron Act (January 1, 2017), employers may provide the payslip in electronic form without prior employee consent, provided they have informed the employee at least one month in advance and comply with retention conditions (50 years or until the employee reaches age 75). The employee may object at any time.
How long must an engagement letter be kept?
Article L123-22 of the Commercial Code requires retention of accounting documents for 10 years. As a precaution, the same duration applies to engagement letters, which serve as proof of acceptance of fees in case of dispute. 10-year archiving is included in all Certyneo plans.
Does Certyneo integrate with my accounting software?
A public REST API is available with event webhooks (envelope.signed, recipient.signed, etc.). Native integrations with leading accounting software (CEGID, ACD, RCA, ISACOMPTA, QuadraCompta) are being deployed. Contact us for the exact status for your solution.
Is the accountant''s professional secrecy 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 shareholder meeting minutes be signed by multiple shareholders via electronic signature?
Yes. Certyneo natively handles sequential or parallel signatures between multiple signatories. Each shareholder receives their personal link with OTP SMS on their own number. The unique audit trail brings together all signatures and timestamps, making it easier to maintain a dematerialized register of meeting minutes.
How much does electronic signature cost for an accounting firm?
A free plan allows you to test on 5 envelopes per month. Beyond that, paid plans start at a rate compatible with client invoicing (re-billing possible). The rate includes 10-year archiving, eIDAS audit trail and technical support.
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