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Limited statutory audit in Switzerland in Roggenburg: rules, deadlines, best practice

Limited statutory audit in Switzerland in Roggenburg 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.

Year-end closing: how the mechanics work

Accrual accounting is the technical heart of the closing: every income and every expense belongs to the year it economically concerns, regardless of the payment date. Rents paid in advance, insurance premiums straddling the date, supplier invoices arriving in January: all flow through accrual accounts.

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.

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 Roggenburg.

Art. 957a CO requires complete, truthful and systematic recording of transactions, each entry backed by a supporting document. For limited statutory audit, that means in practice: no movement without a receipt, and an audit trail that can be reconstructed at any time — including during a VAT or AHV inspection.

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

The test of a good chart of accounts is a single question: can the owner find the margins in three clicks? If not, the chart serves the tax office but not the business — even in Roggenburg.

The chart of accounts is also the hinge to VAT: every revenue account carries its rate (8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8% or exempt), every expense account its input-tax right. Set those attributes once in the tool and every subsequent return becomes reliable.

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Outsource limited statutory audit or keep it in-house?

Responsibility stays with the client: the fiduciary executes with care, but the signed accounts bind the company. Understanding what you sign is not optional.

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

Roggenburg: what changes, what does not

Working with a fiduciary from Roggenburg no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Roggenburg are shared online, while the canton Basel-Country keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.

Roggenburg requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 2814 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

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 Roggenburg as anywhere.

Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business based in Roggenburg?

Yes: the platform runs online, the rules applied are federal (VAT, CO, AHV), and the file can be shared with any fiduciary. A business in Roggenburg manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.

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 Roggenburg: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

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 Roggenburg can therefore archive fully digitally.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates limited statutory audit for businesses in Roggenburg: AI-read documents, posting suggestions, VAT and exports ready for your fiduciary. Try the platform or browse our other guides.

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    Limited statutory audit in Switzerland in Roggenburg