Everything that matters about limited statutory audit common mistakes in St. Moritz
Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in St. Moritz, limited statutory audit eventually lands on your desk. Here are the practical reference points — legal basis, deadlines and common pitfalls — to decide with a clear head.
Year-end closing: how the mechanics work
The order of operations matters: reconciliations first (bank, cash, receivables, payables), then the closing entries, finally the VAT and AHV consistency checks. Reversing the order means starting over.
For an SME in St. Moritz, 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
Whether a business sits in St. Moritz or elsewhere in Switzerland, the same federal law applies — one of the strengths of the Swiss system for limited statutory audit. Cantonal differences concentrate on taxation (rates, filing deadlines); bookkeeping itself follows art. 957 ff. CO everywhere.
One simple principle drives limited statutory audit: every franc in or out must be explainable by a document, an entry and an account. All of Swiss accounting law fits inside that traceability requirement.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
A good chart of accounts tells the story of the business: classes 1 and 2 describe what it owns and owes, class 3 what it sells, classes 4 to 6 what it consumes. Private accounts (sole proprietorships) and shareholder current accounts (Sàrl/SA) must stay spotless: they are the first thing examined in a tax audit.
In an SME in St. Moritz, the chart of accounts is also a delegation tool: clear posting rules let a non-accountant prepare most entries without error.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
The professionals' trick: handle every deadline at D-30, not D-1. A VAT return prepared a month early leaves time to chase a missing document without penalty.
For limited statutory audit, year-end is prepared in October: last invoices, investment decisions, provisions to assess — December is too late to act, January is for recording.
St. Moritz: what changes, what does not
Working with a fiduciary from St. Moritz no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in St. Moritz are shared online, while the canton Grisons keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.
Federal deadlines do not move in St. Moritz: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 7500 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.
Frequently asked questions
Which social contributions does a Swiss employer pay?
AHV/IV/APG: 5.3% employer share (the same is withheld from the employee); unemployment insurance: 1.1% each up to CHF 148,200 a year; occupational pension (LPP) by age and plan (employer at least 50%); occupational accident insurance paid by the employer; family allowances by canton. For an employer in St. Moritz, family allowances follow the canton's rates.
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 St. Moritz as everywhere in Switzerland.
How much does limited statutory audit cost in St. Moritz?
It depends on document volume, the number of salaries and VAT complexity — no serious figure can be quoted without examining the file. Two levers cut the bill everywhere: digitised, well-filed receipts and software that prepares entries instead of having them re-keyed.
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 St. Moritz: the CO dictates it, not the commune.
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