As an accountant or CFO, you have probably already experienced this situation, and in the flow of daily tasks, it is particularly painful: spending hours searching for a specific invoice or contract! Rummaging through archive boxes or archaic software that doesn't offer a search menu to instantly find the document you need so badly is annoying and frustrating... Another question gnaws at you: with the development of digitization, more and more documents are being produced: accounts, invoices, contracts... So how can you ensure that your documents retain their authentic value and can be used as evidence, for example in the event of a tax audit? Fortunately, there is a solution that meets both your organizational needs and security and legal requirements: electronic archiving with probative value.
Evidential archiving: what are we talking about?
Introduced by the decree of March 22, 2017, archiving with probative value allows for the recording, storage, and retrieval of electronic documents. So goodbye to paper. Yes, but as you can imagine, in addition to digitizing your paper documents for easy storage over a period of time, with all the associated benefits, evidential archiving means that your stored documents can be used as evidence: they are considered authentic and have legal value.
To benefit from an electronic archiving system (EAS) that is considered valid by the tax authorities, a company must meet three criteria:
- Authenticity : the origin of the document must be determined. Specifically, the author of each document must be clearly identifiable, for example by means of a signature , for example, or a unique electronic fingerprint. If your document shows the exact date and time of creation or receipt, even better! This is called time stamping.
- Integrity : the non-alteration of the information contained in the document must be guaranteed, again through time stamping, signature, or digital fingerprinting
- Intelligibility: the document must be readable and understandable by everyone, regardless of its format: PDF, XM, etc. It is therefore important to ensure that your solution is capable of reading and displaying formats more complex than PDF without requiring complex manipulations.
The NF Z 42-013 standard specifically governs the requirements for legal digital archiving. It details the legal obligations of electronic archiving systems with probative value.
Archiving with probative value, all the benefits
As an experienced accountant, you know how essential document organization and management are to the smooth running of your business. Stacks of invoices, contracts to review, expense reports to approve. It can all quickly become a logistical nightmare. Imagine a world where all of this is simplified thanks to an electronic archiving solution with evidentiary value...
Here's why this innovation could become your new best friend at work:
- Huge time savings
Say goodbye to hours spent rummaging through dusty filing cabinets looking for a specific invoice. With an electronic archiving solution, everything is just a click away. Documents are indexed and easily accessible using keywords, dates, or categories. Need a contract signed three years ago? A few clicks and there it is, ready to be viewed or shared.
- Enhanced security and compliance
Evidential electronic archiving solutions are designed to guarantee the integrity and authenticity of documents. This means that every archived document is protected against tampering and its origin can be verified at any time. As an accountant, you are well aware of the legal requirements for document retention. An archiving solution with evidentiary value ensures that you comply with regulations, thus avoiding fines and legal issues.
- Cost Reduction
Think of all the money spent on paper, ink, physical storage space, not to mention the time employees spend manually managing documents. With an electronic archiving solution, these costs virtually disappear. No more need to pay for additional storage space or spend hours managing paper documents. The savings can be reinvested in more strategic projects for the company.
- Improving Operational Efficiency
Electronic archiving streamlines your work processes. Documents are easily accessible to authorized team members, regardless of their location. No more waiting for the physical document to become available. This immediate accessibility allows for faster decision-making and improves the responsiveness of your accounting department.
- Easy Backup and Recovery
Imagine for a moment that your office suffers a fire or flood. Physical documents can be destroyed in an instant, resulting in irreparable losses. With an electronic archiving solution, your documents are stored securely in the cloud or on protected servers. In the event of a disaster, you can quickly recover your documents and continue working without major disruption.
- Enhanced collaboration
Electronic archiving solutions enable seamless collaboration between different departments within a company. For example, invoices can be shared and approved by various managers without having to be printed and distributed manually. Everything is done online, in real time, which speeds up processes and reduces the risk of errors.
7. Traceability and Transparency
With an electronic archiving solution that provides legal evidence, every action performed on a document is tracked. You can see who accessed which document, when, and what changes were made. This traceability is essential for audits and helps maintain complete transparency in document management.
8. Ecology and Sustainability
Adopting an electronic archiving solution means taking your CSR approach one step further and doing your bit for the planet. Less paper means fewer trees cut down and less waste. As a company, you are also demonstrating your commitment to sustainable practices, which can improve your image with customers and partners.
What are the document retention periods for businesses?
It should be noted that according to current tax regulations, documents must be kept for six years. However, according to commercial regulations, accounting documents must be kept for ten years (Article L. 123-22 of the Commercial Code). In practice, the retention period for invoices is therefore ten years.for retaining an invoice is therefore 10 years.
- Accounting documents:
| Accounting books and records: journal, ledger, inventory book, etc. | 10 years from the end of the fiscal year |
| Supporting document: purchase order, delivery or receipt note, customer and supplier invoice, etc. | 10 years from the end of the fiscal year |
- Tax documents:
| Income tax (IR) and corporate tax (IS) | 6 years |
| Industrial and commercial profits (BIC), non-commercial profits (BNC), and agricultural profits (BA) under the actual regime | 6 years |
| Corporate taxes for sole proprietorships, limited liability companies (agricultural businesses, professional services firms) | 6 years |
| Local direct taxes (property taxes, etc.) | 6 years |
| Business property tax (CFE)andCVAE | 6 years |
| Taxes on turnover (VAT : Value Added Taxand similar taxes, entertainment tax, insurance contract tax, etc.) | 6 years |
- Corporate documents:
| Annual accounts (balance sheet, income statement, notes to the financial statements, etc.) | 10 years from the end of the fiscal year |
| Articles of association of a company,economic interest group, or association (if necessary, amendment to the articles of association) | 5 years from the loss of legal personality (or removal fromthe Commercial Register) |
| Merger agreement and other documents related to the operation of the company (+ documents of the absorbed company) | 5 years |
- HR documents:
| Pay slip (hard copy or electronic) | 5 years |
| Document concerning employment contracts, salaries, bonuses, allowances, final settlements, and pension plans. | 5 years |
It should be noted that according to current tax regulations, documents must be kept for six years. However, according to commercial regulations, accounting documents must be kept for ten years (Article L. 123-22 of the Commercial Code). In practice, the retention period for invoices is therefore ten years.for retaining an invoice is therefore 10 years.
⇒ For managing your invoices, Docoon offers a solution for the fiscal dematerialization of sales invoices, including a a10-year electronic archiving in accordance with the Z42-013 standard.
⇒ To guarantee the authenticity of your most sensitive documents, Docoon implements an eiDAS electronic signature solution, which is the highest level of compliance and security on the market for your company.
