Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

Limited statutory audit checklist in Berlingen: rules, deadlines, best practice

Limited statutory audit checklist in Berlingen rests on three pillars: federal law that applies across Switzerland, cantonal deadlines worth knowing, and tools that eliminate re-keying. This guide puts it all in order, fact by fact.

Year-end closing: how the mechanics work

Companies exceeding two of three thresholds for two consecutive years — CHF 20 million balance sheet total, CHF 40 million revenue, 250 full-time positions — move to an ordinary audit. Below that, the limited audit applies, and companies with no more than ten full-time positions on annual average can opt out with the consent of all shareholders.

For an SME in Berlingen, the closing is also decision time: distributions, provisions, investments to anticipate. A file ready in February leaves time to decide; one ready in June just endures.

The Swiss legal frame for limited statutory audit

Responsibility for the books is personal: in an SA, organising the accounting is one of the board's non-transferable duties (art. 716a CO); in a Sàrl, the managing directors carry the same duty. Outsourcing the execution never transfers that underlying responsibility, including for a company based in Berlingen.

The law also settles the form: accounts may be kept in a national language or in English, on paper or electronically (art. 957a para. 5 CO). That pragmatism lets limited statutory audit run entirely on digital tools — no paper binder is required.

A Swiss SME's accounting calendar

An accounting calendar only lives if it is shared: owner, in-house bookkeeper and fiduciary must see the same deadlines and the same status — the rule holds for every SME in Berlingen.

An SME in Berlingen that holds its calendar twelve months straight changes its position: fewer official reminders, easier extensions — and limited statutory audit stops being a source of worry.

Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

Outsource limited statutory audit or keep it in-house?

Outsourcing limited statutory audit to a fiduciary frees up time and secures compliance; keeping it in-house preserves a continuous view and costs less in fees. The best answer is often hybrid: the company captures and digitises as it goes, the fiduciary supervises, closes the books and represents the company before the authorities.

A business in Berlingen can combine the models: internal day-to-day entry, monthly external supervision, closing and taxes with the specialist — limited statutory audit splits very well.

Berlingen: what changes, what does not

Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Berlingen: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Thurgau.

For a business in Berlingen, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Thurgau.

Frequently asked questions

Can limited statutory audit be automated with AI?

Largely, yes: automatic document reading, posting suggestions, bank reconciliation via QR references and VAT exports. Human approval remains essential — AI prepares, the professional checks. That is exactly how MyFiducia.ai approaches limited statutory audit.

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 Berlingen too.

Which documents should be prepared for the year-end closing?

Bank and cash statements at the closing date, the inventory of stock and work in progress, final AHV/LPP/accident settlements, contracts signed or amended during the year, invoices straddling two years and the detail of accruals. With an up-to-date document archive, most of it is already there. The list is identical in Berlingen: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

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 Berlingen as everywhere in Switzerland.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates limited statutory audit for businesses in Berlingen: 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.

    Limited statutory audit checklist in Berlingen — Swiss guide