Electronic Signature for Accounting Firms: Digitising SMEs Without Tech Support

Your Client Is Not an IT Expert

If you run a tax, employment or accounting advisory practice, your client base is mixed: from tech startups to plumbers, hauliers or local shops who barely use email.

The main mistake when digitising the practice is choosing a signing platform with the adviser in mind instead of the end client. If you make clients install apps, remember complex passwords or obtain digital certificates to sign Annual Accounts, the result will be the same as always: they will bring paper documents signed by hand to the office.

For an accounting firm, the best technology is the kind that needs no explanation. Below are 4 keys to choosing a solution your clients will adopt without pushback.

1. Radical Simplicity: The “Grandfather Test”

You need a tool that works first time, with no manual. If your admin team has to spend time acting as tech support for your clients, digitisation is not cost-effective.

The usability criterion:

• Direct access: The client receives an email or SMS, opens the document and signs with their finger on their phone. That’s it. No prior registration or complex identity checks (unless strictly required).
• Universality: The solution must work in any browser and on any device, including older models, to cover 100% of your client base.

2. 360° Service: Signature and Certified Notifications

An advisory firm does more than collect signatures (tax returns, Annual Accounts, minutes). A large part of your added value is handling critical legal communications, especially in employment.

The hybrid approach:
Choose a provider that combines Electronic Signature and Certified Email in one console.

• Employment: Use certified email to notify dismissals, sanctions or worker transfers on behalf of your clients, with the same legal effect as certified mail but at a fraction of the cost (and without going to the post office).
• Tax: Use electronic signature for tax filing authorisations (powers of attorney, mandates).

3. White Label: You Are the Point of Contact

Your client trusts their accountant, not an unknown external software vendor. If they get an email from “SignTech Ltd” asking for bank details, they will be suspicious and may not sign for fear of phishing.

The trust criterion:
Look for a platform that supports customisation (branding) if you need it.

• Visual identity: The signing request email should use your firm’s logo, colours and tone of voice.
• Own domain: Some solutions let the sender be notifications@youraccountancy.com, removing friction and distrust for the end client.

4. Secured Collection: The SEPA Mandate

A weak spot for many practices is managing collections and direct debit returns on their own fees.

The financial workflow:
Digitise signing of the SEPA mandate from day one (client onboarding).

• Automation: When you onboard a new client, send them the service agreement and SEPA mandate in a single “signing envelope”.
• Security: With the mandate signed digitally and traceable, the bank cannot reject the debit and you have legal proof in case of unjustified returns.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can it be used to file tax returns with the tax authority?
Not directly. You (the adviser) use your own certificate to file with the tax office. But electronic signature is essential for your client to sign the authorisation for the bank charge (NRC) or to validate data (board minutes, Annual Accounts, etc.) before you file, protecting your professional liability in case of errors.

Is certified email legally valid for dismissals?
Yes. Employment case law accepts certified email (and certified SMS) as valid proof of dismissal notification, provided content and technical delivery are evidenced, something platforms like eEvidence guarantee.

Can I sign my clients’ rental contracts?
Yes. For property managers it is an ideal tool. It lets you renew leases and notify IPC-linked rent increases without having to bring landlord and tenant to your office.

How do I justify the cost to the client?
Many firms include digital signing and certified notifications as a “Technology disbursements” line on the invoice or build it into the monthly fee as a premium “Virtual Office” service, monetising digitisation.

Conclusion

For an accounting firm, electronic signature is not an expense; it is a productivity and retention tool. By choosing an extremely simple, mobile-friendly solution, you remove paper from your office and project a modern image that supports your fees.

If it’s easy for them, it’s profitable for you.