FECFrench audit file of accounting entries
The FEC (French audit file of accounting entries) is a computer copy of all accounting entries for each financial year that a business must hand to the French tax authorities during an audit of computerised accounts, in the format set by article A. 47 A-1 of the Tax Procedures Code.
The obligation rests on article L. 47 A, I of the Tax Procedures Code (LPF). During an audit of accounts kept on a computer system, the business supplies a copy of the accounting entry files at the start of the audit (BOI-CF-IOR-60-40-10, § 30).
The file covers all journal entries for each financial year named in the audit notice, excluding summary posting entries. Entries are numbered in ascending order, without gaps (BOI-CF-IOR-60-40-20, §§ 20, 40 and 63).
The format is the one set by article A. 47 A-1 of the LPF: a flat file whose first line gives the field names, or an XML file that follows a schema (BOI-CF-IOR-60-40-20, § 10). One file is supplied per financial year.
Sources
See also
- Secure till software French VAT law (article 286, I, 3° bis of the General Tax Code) requires every business that records payments from consumers to use till software meeting conditions of inalterability, security, retention and archiving of data.
- Invoice retention Invoices and accounting supporting documents must be kept for six years for tax purposes under article L. 102 B of the Tax Procedures Code, and for ten years under article L. 123-22 of the French Commercial Code.