Attention Electronic Filing Agents or Presenters who electronically sign CRO Forms via company secretarial software packages

Users of Secretarial Software Packages will be familiar with the use of PINs and IDs as the current electronic signing solution for CRO forms. In March 2013, the CRO advised suppliers of the Company Secretarial Software Packages that it will be phasing out the use of PINs and IDs as a signing method. The CRO received legal advice that the system of PIN and ID signing was not a sufficiently authenticated level of digital signature to guarantee compliance with the requirements of the Electronic Commerce Act 2000.

The plan is to replace the PIN and ID system with ROS (Revenue Online Service) Certificates (issued by the Dept of Revenue) as the accepted electronic signing method. The CRO is already implementing this signing solution on www.CORE.ie. The CRO will not be accepting PINs and IDs as electronic signatures after 30 June 2014.

The Secretarial Software Packages are currently working on integrating the technology to allow forms to be signed using ROS as an alternative to PINs and IDs, some software suppliers have applied this already. If you have any queries please contact your software vendor for an update on their plans to update their software.