Smiling team looking at a laptop

Accounting automation alternatives in Bellikon explained simply

Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around accounting automation in Bellikon, every SME draws its own line. The reference points below — federal law, cantonal practice and lessons from the field — help you place the cursor well.

Digitalising accounting automation: what actually works

Security is part of digitalisation: named access, tested backups, encryption of sensitive data. A digital accounting file is protected like a safe — because it is one.

For accounting automation, migrating history must not block the start: begin on day one of the current financial year and import the history later if needed.

The Swiss legal frame for accounting automation

AHV audits and VAT audits follow the same logic: start from the documents, trace to the entries, check consistency. A business in Bellikon with a clean audit trail sails through these exercises.

The annual accounts (art. 958 CO) consist of the balance sheet, the income statement and the notes; they must be drawn up within six months of the year-end so the general meeting can approve them. A delay here cascades into the tax return and the final social insurance settlements.

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

Concretely, accounting automation benefits from three tiers: balance-sheet accounts (classes 1-2) kept spotless for the closing, income accounts (classes 3-6) shaped for steering, and closing accounts (class 9) reserved for year-end entries. Each tier has its rhythm and its owner.

In an SME in Bellikon, the chart of accounts is also a delegation tool: clear posting rules let a non-accountant prepare most entries without error.

Two people reviewing numerical reports

Outsource accounting automation 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 Bellikon.

For accounting automation, a quarterly 30-minute check-in with the fiduciary beats an annual marathon: questions get handled while they are small.

Bellikon: what changes, what does not

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

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

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 Bellikon, family allowances follow the canton's rates.

How long must records related to accounting automation 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 Bellikon can therefore archive fully digitally.

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 Bellikon: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

What are the current Swiss VAT rates?

Since 1 January 2024: 8.1% (standard), 2.6% (reduced — for example food and medicines) and 3.8% (accommodation). Returns must be filed and paid within 60 days after the period ends (quarterly under the effective method, semi-annually under the net tax rate method). These federal rates apply unchanged in Bellikon.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates accounting automation for businesses in Bellikon: 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.

    Accounting automation alternatives in Bellikon — Swiss guide