What a Signed Certificate Does and Doesn’t Tell You

A signed certificate shows that its contents haven’t changed since they were signed. An audit capsule goes further: it puts the activity, reports, certificates and receipts for a named period into one signed file.

What a passing check tells you

The checker confirms the file’s format, fingerprints, signatures and the links between its entries, and that the signing keys were valid at the time.

What it doesn’t tell you

A pass doesn’t show that the source system captured all your transactions, that accounts and tax codes are right, that a return will be accepted, or which version of the software produced it.

How to review safely

Note the type of file, what it covers, the period, the state of the signing key, the checker’s version and the result. Then check the source records and the accounting treatment separately.