Balance sheet preparation for e-commerce in Mellikon without the stress: how it works
Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Mellikon, balance sheet preparation 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 closing is prepared all year long: a monthly bank reconciliation and accruals tracked as you go turn the year-end into a formality, for businesses in Mellikon too.
The notes complete the figures: valuation principles, liabilities towards pension institutions, contingent liabilities, or the number of full-time positions. Careful notes reduce questions from the auditor and the banks.
The Swiss legal frame for balance sheet preparation
Swiss accounting law has been unified in the Code of Obligations since 2013: the same bookkeeping rules (art. 957a CO) and retention rules (art. 958f CO — 10 years for books, vouchers and reports) apply regardless of legal form. Balance sheet preparation sits squarely within this frame, including for companies based in Mellikon.
Also worth knowing: accounts may be drawn up in the currency most relevant to the business; if that is not the franc, values must additionally be stated in CHF (art. 958d para. 3 CO). Internationally active companies gain books that match their economic reality.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
Nearly all Swiss SMEs rely on the standard SME chart of accounts (Sterchi/Käfer): classes 1 (assets) to 9 (closing), with revenue in class 3 and expenses in classes 4 to 6. Using this standard structure makes conversations with your fiduciary, auditor and tax administration far easier.
Suspense accounts (to clarify) are useful provided they are emptied monthly: a swelling “miscellaneous” account is the classic symptom of a chart that no longer fits the activity.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
January: salary declaration to the compensation office and salary certificates. End of February, May, August, November: quarterly VAT returns (effective method), each to be filed and paid within 60 days after the quarter ends. Within six months of year-end: approved annual accounts. Then: the tax return under cantonal deadlines, with extensions possible.
Handing deadline monitoring to a tool is no luxury: automatic reminders, a status per obligation, and an “all green” view that clears the mind. What matters is not who ticks the box — but that the box exists and everyone can see it.
Mellikon: what changes, what does not
Working with a fiduciary from Mellikon no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Mellikon are shared online, while the canton Aargau keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.
Mellikon requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 5465 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.
Frequently asked questions
What are the legal obligations for balance sheet preparation in Switzerland?
The foundation is the Code of Obligations: proper bookkeeping (art. 957a CO), annual accounts (balance sheet, income statement, notes) and 10-year retention of books and records (art. 958f CO). VAT applies from CHF 100,000 of turnover, and social insurance settlements from the first employee. Nothing is different in Mellikon: federal law applies.
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 Mellikon as everywhere 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 Mellikon: the CO dictates it, not the commune.
How long must records related to balance sheet preparation 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 Mellikon can therefore archive fully digitally.
Also worth reading
In neighbouring municipalities
Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates balance sheet preparation for businesses in Mellikon: 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.