fiskaltrust has been active in the French market and in other European markets for years now, and we are asked this question again and again by cash register manufacturers. And we are quite happy to give an answer, even though the answer cannot and must not be a direct yes or no.
Isn’t there a free option?
Yes, that’s right. The French legislation offers a free option, a self attestation. This is also possible for cash register manufacturers. An exception is to be seen here however, if the POS software is developed for the internal us of a company and not for commercialisation of the system, a certification must be carried out.
But here something is overlooked! Most only see the development and integration of the ISCA rules as with the certified version, the fulfilment of the confirmation of conformity and the installation. However, it is not that simple! Because each POS software must meet the same requirements, such as the documentation of the software development and also the testing program.
Necessary documentation in French
Because also for the self attestation there are different requirements which were fixed in the BOI 30-10-30, we don’t even need to talk about the ISCA rules. However, there are a number of documents that must be made available in the French language. They are:
- Global design of the application
- Requirements specification
- Architecture of the application
- Company organization
- Maintenance of the application
- Commissioning and operation of the application
- User manual
- Test plans, reporting and monitoring
- List of the fiscalization source code
- Confirmation of conformity
If these documents are not available at the time of the audit, they must be submitted within 30 days.
Required additional programs
The prescribed program for auditing the created fiscal archives must also be available in French. This includes step-by-step instructions for the fiscal authorities. This must explain how the fiscal archives are created and verified for integrity.
And the expensive option?
It is not as expensive as everyone thinks. As we can see, the documentation is exactly the same as for self attestation, and the testing tool and the manual for this tool are also mandatory for both variants.
The only additional element is the external testing by one of the two certification bodies. Here the prices vary depending on the certification body and the scope of the test. But what is the benefit of this audit?
Certification as security for the cash register manufacturer
By having a third party examine the documentation, greater security is achieved when this part was provided correctly. In addition, the source code is also checked for functionality. But that is not all! The POS is also tested for correct functionality and also for its robustness against fraud.
Finally, the fiscal archive is tested. Here, the correctness of the archive is also tested as well as its ability to protect against any changes.
It is obvious that these intensive tests cost working time and money! But they also bring the security that the POS works objectively and complies with the law. In the event of an audit by the tax authorities, this security is worth its weight in gold.
Certification as a marketing tool
Here, too, is a clear advantage that the POS manufacturer obtains with certification. He can provide his POS dealers and operators with a POS that has been independently tested. The two certification bodies LNE and Infocert are well known and their seal is also known by company owners.
A POS with this seal is simply “safer” in the minds of POS operators, although the basic requirements are the same for both types.
So, the amount of money spent on certification alone should not be the only consideration. The gain in security, minimizing the risk and also the use in marketing must also be seen.
But all this is very complicated!
No, it isn’t! We have a motto: Simplifying Complexity! We help in several levels so that the POS becomes safe.
- The ISCA rules are already included in the license free fiskaltrust.Middleware.
As a POS manufacturer you can concentrate on the essentials again and don’t have to deal with the interpretation of the law. - The interface to the fiskaltrust.Middleware is clearly and simply documented.
- Regular WorkShops are held for the integration of the fiskaltrust.Middleware into POS systems.
- The creation of the fiscal archive is automated with the AddOn product ArchiveAuditable and also the storage is done centrally for 10 years.
- All necessary documents for the fiskaltrust.Middleware are readily available.
- Templates for each individual document are available for documentation by the cash register manufacturer provided by fiskaltrust.
- The fiskaltrust.Team of specialists accompanies each partner through the entire audit process.
- And fiskaltrust regularly informs the cash register manufacturer and cash register dealer about changes in the law.
When this whole package of benefits is considered, certification is no longer so expensive. Because all this (except the audit, of course) must be fulfilled by each cash register manufacturer.