Limited statutory audit for daycare centres in Montreux: rules, deadlines, best practice
Limited statutory audit for daycare centres in Montreux 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 limited statutory audit, the golden rule is to discover nothing in January: every uncertainty (doubtful receivable, dispute, unsellable stock) must be identified before the closing date, not after.
Outsource limited statutory audit or keep it in-house?
A good test before choosing: ask the fiduciary HOW it wants to receive the documents. A precise answer (formats, frequency, platform) says more than any brochure — including in Montreux.
For limited statutory audit, the internal-external duo works when both sides see the same file: same entries, same documents, same deadlines. Misunderstandings are born from parallel copies.
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 Montreux.
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 well-structured SME chart of accounts
Shareholder current accounts demand strict hygiene: every private withdrawal documented, interest at the rates accepted by the tax administration, and a clean-up at closing.
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.
Montreux: what changes, what does not
Montreux (postal code 1815, canton Vaud) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Montreux are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.
Federal deadlines do not move in Montreux: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 1815 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.
Frequently asked questions
How much does limited statutory audit cost in Montreux?
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.
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 Montreux too.
What is the difference between a limited and an ordinary audit?
The ordinary audit applies to companies exceeding, for two consecutive years, two of three thresholds: CHF 20 million balance sheet total, CHF 40 million revenue, 250 full-time positions. Others fall under the limited audit, and those with no more than ten full-time positions on annual average can opt out with all shareholders' consent. These federal thresholds do not depend on the registered seat — in Montreux as anywhere.
How long must records related to limited statutory audit 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 Montreux can therefore archive fully digitally.
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