Accounting records archiving for pharmacies in Quarten: rules, deadlines, best practice
Accounting records archiving for pharmacies in Quarten raises the same questions for most Swiss SME owners: which obligations apply, which deadlines are running, which documents to prepare. This page covers the federal rules in force — without unnecessary jargon.
Digitalising accounting records archiving: what actually works
A serious accounting document archive links every record to its entry, timestamps versions and logs access — exactly what Swiss bookkeeping regulation expects from probative electronic retention. Chronological filing by financial year becomes an automatic by-product.
For an SME in Quarten, the real gain of digitalised accounting records archiving shows day to day: no paper pile at month-end, VAT prepared continuously, and an owner reading today's figures rather than last quarter's.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
Nearly all Swiss SMEs rely on the standard SME chart of accounts (Sterchi/Käfer): classes 1 (assets) to 9 (closing), with revenue in class 3 and expenses in classes 4 to 6. Using this standard structure makes conversations with your fiduciary, auditor and tax administration far easier.
Standard numbering also enables automation: stable posting rules (same supplier, same account) make data entry predictable and the audit faster. Avoid changing the chart of accounts mid-year — migrate at the closing date, with a documented mapping table.
Outsource accounting records archiving or keep it in-house?
The scope goes down in writing: who enters data, who approves payments, who answers the tax office, who keeps the originals. Every “we'll see” at the start becomes a December misunderstanding — in Quarten as elsewhere.
Changing fiduciary is not a drama: the accounting data belongs to the company, and a clean export (entries, chart of accounts, linked documents) allows a transition at year-end. A provider who locks in a client's data says a lot about how it works.
QR-bills and friction-free collections
Clear payment terms, a visible due date, exact details: half of late payments come from ambiguous invoices, not bad payers — the finding holds in Quarten too.
A business in Quarten can collect by QR-bill even without sophisticated software: what matters is that every incoming payment finds its invoice, manually or automatically.
Quarten: what changes, what does not
Quarten (postal code 8877, canton St. Gallen) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Quarten are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.
For a business in Quarten, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton St. Gallen.
Frequently asked questions
How long must records related to accounting records archiving be kept?
Ten years from the end of the financial year concerned (art. 958f CO). Electronic retention is permitted if the integrity and readability of the records are guaranteed — a serious digital archive validly replaces paper binders. A business in Quarten can therefore archive fully digitally.
What is simplified bookkeeping and who can use it?
Sole proprietorships and partnerships under CHF 500,000 of revenue may limit themselves to recording income, expenses and assets (art. 957 para. 2 CO). Once over the threshold — or upon founding a Sàrl or an SA — full accounts with balance sheet, income statement and notes become mandatory. The CHF 500,000 threshold is assessed the same way in Quarten.
When is entry in the commercial register mandatory?
A Sàrl and an SA only come into existence with their registration. A sole proprietorship must register from CHF 100,000 of annual revenue; below that, registration stays voluntary but adds credibility and protects the business name. Registration goes through the canton's commercial register office — for Quarten too.
When must a business register for VAT?
As soon as its worldwide annual turnover reaches CHF 100,000 (CHF 250,000 for non-profit sports or cultural associations). Below that, voluntary registration remains possible and often makes sense to reclaim input VAT on investments. The threshold is federal: it applies in Quarten as everywhere in Switzerland.
Also worth reading
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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates accounting records archiving for businesses in Quarten: AI-read documents, posting suggestions, VAT and exports ready for your fiduciary. Try the platform or browse our other guides.
The application is operated in French.