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Certyneo
Chartered accountants & payroll firms

Electronic signature for chartered accountants and payroll firms

Engagement letters, certificates, minutes of approval, payslips, social declarations, management mandates: dematerialize all documents signed by your firm and your clients with an eIDAS level of proof. 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 electronically signed, from the engagement letter to the individual social declaration.

Engagement letter

Mandatory 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 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 the dematerialized register of minutes.

Dematerialized payslip

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

Social and tax management mandate

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

Service agreements and client commitments

Confidentiality commitments, one-off service agreements outside the engagement letter, subcontracting agreements between firms: your entire contractual scope is covered.

Why Certyneo for an accounting firm

Six guarantees specifically tailored to the ethical and probative requirements of the chartered accountancy profession.

Strong identification of the client

OTP SMS + email verification of the signer, qualified timestamp, SHA-256 fingerprint of the document. The audit trail covers all Code of Ethics requirements regarding formalization of 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 Professional Board, 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 subcontracting outside the EU. Standard DPA included, compliant with professional confidentiality of article 8 of ordinance 45-2138.

Archiving compliant with accounting retention periods

10-year archiving included at probative value (article L123-22 of the Commercial Code — retention period for accounting records). Full export at any time for transfer 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 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 comes down to 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 embedded in the PDF, which groups together technical evidence:

  • Identity of the signer (email + phone number verified by OTP)
  • Qualified timestamp of each action (sending, review, signature, refusal)
  • SHA-256 cryptographic fingerprint of the signed document
  • IP and approximate geolocation of the signer at the 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 attestations 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 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 archiving with probative value compatible 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 attestations 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 Act of August 6, 2015, employers may deliver the payslip in electronic form under conditions guaranteeing its integrity, availability for 50 years (or until the employee reaches age 75), and data confidentiality.

Article 1366 of the Civil Code & eIDAS Regulation

Electronic writing has the same probative force as paper writing provided that the identity of the signer can be duly established and the integrity of the document is guaranteed. Certyneo''s advanced signature (AES) meets both requirements under Regulation (EU) No 910/2014.

Frequently asked questions from accounting firms

Can an accountancy firm''s engagement letter be signed electronically?

Yes, without restriction. Article 151 of the Code of Ethics requires 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 the scope of the engagement BEFORE the service begins.

What is the value of an electronically signed accountancy attestation to a bank?

An attestation signed electronically at AES level (Certyneo) has identical value to a paper attestation signed by hand and stamped. The recipient (bank, URSSAF, landlord) can verify the audit trail from the verification URL included in the PDF certificate — they see the signer''s identity, the date, and absence of document alteration.

Is the dematerialized payslip mandatory for all employees?

Since the Macron Act (January 1, 2017), employers may deliver the payslip electronically 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 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 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 rolled out. Contact us for the exact status on 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 shareholders'' meeting minutes be signed by several partners using electronic signature?

Yes. Certyneo natively handles signatures in series or in parallel between multiple signers. Each partner receives their personal link with SMS OTP on their own number. The unique audit trail brings together all signatures and timestamps, facilitating maintenance of the dematerialized minutes 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 rate compatible with client invoicing (pass-through billing possible). The rate includes 10-year archiving, eIDAS audit trail and technical support.

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Sign your next engagement letter in 5 minutes

Create your free account and test the Certyneo audit trail on a real engagement letter. No credit card, no commitment.