It is common for government, business or administrative procedures to require copies of certain documents. A certified copy is one that has been endorsed or certified as a true copy of an original primary document by an authorized person such as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). This prevents the owner from having to give up the possession of important documents, which could lead to their loss or damage.
To certify that the document is a true copy of the original, the CPA will need to see the original and then state it on the copy confirming that it is genuine. This is a process that can be efficiently done remotely, thus saving time, instead of appearing in person in front of a Certified Public Accountant.
What is a Certified Public Accountant?
An accountant is someone who maintains financial records and interprets them, while Certified Public Accountants are those with more expertise, also able to perform other services such as certifying copies of original documents.
List of documents that can be certified by CPAs
You may need a certified copy on many different occasions, from KYC and KYB processes or applying for a mortgage to official government and court purposes. The documents most often certified by CPAs include:
- Certified copies of passports and national IDs
- Certified copies of photocard driving licences
- Certified copies of bank or credit card statements
- Certified copies of gas, electricity or council tax bills
- Certified copies of letters from a government department
Certified copies of documents are often needed in the client onboarding process during the KYC and KYB procedures, as mentioned above. So, for example, if you want to open a bank account or enter another business relationship, a CPA will be able to certify the copy of the necessary documents such as:
- ID document
- Proof of Address
- Memorandum and Articles of Association
- Register of Directors
- Register of Shareholders
- Authorised Signatory List
- Certificate of Incumbency
- Beneficial Ownership Declaration
- PEP Declaration
- Source of Funds Declaration
Apart from the aforementioned cases, there are many other circumstances where you may need certified copies of documents. If you have any questions about it, get in touch with us at Legitify by sending an email to info@legitify.eu.
This article was written by Clara Valls Cunillera, Marketing Intern and Marta Gesinska (PhD), Legal Analyst at Legitify
