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  3. FAQ: France Fichier d’Ecritures Comptables (FEC)

FAQ: France Fichier d’Ecritures Comptables (FEC)

To access this in Français, see FAQ concernant le FEC.

See the questions and answers below for more information about the FEC files provided by the France Localization SuiteApp.

What data is included in the FEC file?

The FEC file includes all the accounting entries for a given fiscal year and its balance sheet opening balance. The opening balance is obtained from the “A-nouveaux” entries (which are referred to in NetSuite as Period End Journal entries) that are generated upon closing the previous fiscal year.

What should I do if the Period End Journal closing process has not been used for a fiscal year?

Firstly, you must enable Period End Journals (PEJ) and use it for the current fiscal years. For information about configuring PEJ for FEC, see Including Period End Journals in France FEC. In the case of older and closed fiscal years, you can generate the FEC file using the dynamic calculation feature for the opening balance. To enable dynamic calculation, go to Setup > France Localization > Preferences. On the General Configuration subtab, check Use Dynamically Calculated Entries.

Why are A-Nouveaux entries not detailed in NetSuite?

The Period End Journal feature allows you to create income statement, balance sheet closing, and balance sheet opening entries. These entries only concern accounts. Because the matching capability in NetSuite is multi-year (a payment from one year can be linked directly to an invoice from a previous year), it is not necessary to have detailed A-Nouveaux entries.

Why are the TransactionLet and DateLet columns empty in the FEC generated by NetSuite?

The "lettrage" of the entry refers to the marker used in the accounting system to match two entries (such as, payment linked to invoice). The "lettrage" date corresponds to the date on which the "lettrage"/matching operation was confirmed in the accounting system.

NetSuite can be used to match this type of entry, and more generally, all entries concerning accounts receivables (A/R) and accounts payables (A/P). The data model is also richer than a simple letter matching as it also includes matching amounts (in accounting and foreign currency). Multiple entries can also be matched together. For example, an invoice can be paid by two payments, so two links are created. In the current FEC format, the TransactionLet and DateLet columns cannot be filled with this data.

However, NetSuite allows you to extract this matching data using the FEC Lettrage report. This exported file lets you reconcile the A/P and A/R accounts balances with opening or closing trial balances, and double-check the matching.

How do I use the FEC Lettrage report?

The FEC Lettrage report contains the same information as in the FEC file plus the following columns:

  • Financial year– The financial year in which the entry line is posted.

  • Subsidiary– The subsidiary/company of the entry line.

  • Search Field – The search field which combines the information from the two linked lines.

  • EcritureLet – The lettrage code used to identify the two linked transactions.

  • TransactionLet– Identification of the linked entry.

  • DebitLet– The amount matched if debit.

  • CreditLet – The amount matched if credit.

  • DateLet– The date when the matching was done.

Only entries from the A/R and A/P accounts are exported. Because the links between transactions and their GL lines are exported in the FEC Lettrage file, there may be more lines in this file than in the FEC file. An invoice line may therefore appear twice if it was paid by two different payments. To reconcile the data in this file with the trial balances, the DebitLet and CreditLet amounts must be used. You can also use the Year column to display detailed A-Nouveaux for each account and customer or vendor.

Where can I find the FEC Notice explicative?

To download the FEC explanatory note (Notice explicative), see Notice Explicative.

Where is my A-Nouveaux entry? It's not in the first position.

A-Nouveaux entries in NetSuite, when generated by the Period End Journal closing process, are treated like other entries and may not be in the first position in the FEC file. As the numbering sequence is unique in NetSuite (except in the special case of the Multibook Adjustment Only Book), transactions that have been created and validated before the entries generated by the previous year-end closing process will be assigned an entry number before these entries. However, these entries can be easily identified in the FEC by their specific “Journal” data (JournalCode = 'PEJrnl', JournalLib = ' OD de clôture' and EcritureLib = 'A-Nouveaux. Balance d'ouverture').

My FEC file is too large. What should I do?

If the volume of accounting entries is too high, you can submit the FEC file simultaneously in multiple separate files based on agreement with the tax administration. For example, it is possible to cut the file by period: half-year, quarter, or month.

Are there any special considerations when using Multi-Book Adjustment Only Book?

Yes, there are a few special considerations when using Multibook Adjustment Only Book:

  • It is essential to generate Period End Journals in two different books: the base book and the adjustment book.

  • There will also be two sequences of entry numbers for each book. As the numbering is carried out on two distinct subsets of "journaux", it complies with FEC requirements. In that case, it is possible to use a prefix for each of the sequences to easily differentiate them.

General Notices