Signed electronically, issued once, and sealed against the books
Directors and clients sign in their own link, in order or in parallel, and the signed PDF carries a certificate of completion with the document's fingerprint. Issued statements are locked with their SHA-256, and one seal over the trail behind every figure can be checked against the books later.
Signing financial statements needs clear attribution and a document that cannot change afterwards without it being seen. Achekam records who signed what and when, fingerprints the signed and issued documents, and seals the trail behind the figures so a later change in the books is named.
What it covers
- Electronic signatures with a certificate — Fields are placed on the document, signers sign in their own session in order or in parallel, and the signed PDF is appended with a certificate of completion: the envelope, each signer's steps and the source document's SHA-256.
- Issued statements, locked — Issuing prints the final PDF without the draft watermark, keeps it with its SHA-256 and locks the version for good; a later change in the books does not move it and is flagged as a change after issue.
- The Proof of Figure seal — At issue, the trail behind every line figure is sealed — one SHA-256 fingerprint per figure and a root over all of them. "Check the seal against the books now" names every figure whose trail has moved since.
- Partner signing behind the quality gates — A partner's signature on the statements checks the firm's ISQM 1 gates on the server — open judgements, an engagement quality reviewer who has not cleared it, open critical incidents, consultations, differences of opinion, acceptance and independence — and records any override with its reason.
What it does not do
- These are simple electronic signatures as contemplated in section 13 of the ECT Act, not advanced electronic signatures.
- There is no public verification portal: the seal and the fingerprints are checked inside Achekam by the people who can open the statements.
The standard behind it
Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, Section 13 (signature). Where a signature is required by law and the law does not specify the type, an electronic signature may be used; an advanced electronic signature is one from an accredited service.
Questions
- Can a bank verify our signed statements without an Achekam account?
- Not through Achekam today. The issued PDF and its fingerprint can be shared with the bank; the seal check runs inside Achekam.
