Salary certificate example in Rickenbach (BL) explained simply
Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Rickenbach (BL), salary certificate eventually lands on your desk. Here are the practical reference points — legal basis, deadlines and common pitfalls — to decide with a clear head.
The Swiss legal frame for salary certificate
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. Salary certificate sits squarely within this frame, including for companies based in Rickenbach (BL).
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.
Salaries and social contributions: the rates to know
Hiring the first employee triggers everything at once: affiliation to AHV and LPP funds, accident insurance, family allowances, working-time rules. A complete payroll file from day one avoids catch-ups.
An often underestimated point: self-employed status is granted by the compensation office — or not. Whoever invoices essentially one main client risks requalification as an employee, with contribution arrears charged to the principal. Clarifying AHV status before starting avoids that trap.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
The typical annual cycle: monthly or quarterly AHV instalments, VAT returns (quarterly under the effective method, semi-annual under the net tax rate), the final salary declaration in January, closing in the first half-year, then the tax return and the annual VAT reconciliation. Each link depends on the quality of the previous one.
For salary certificate, two dates lock themselves in every year: the January salary declaration and the general meeting within six months — everything else is planned around them.
Outsource salary certificate or keep it in-house?
Splitting roles clearly avoids duplication: the company captures documents and approves payments; the fiduciary checks postings, closes the year and defends the file before the authorities. Each side does what it does best — and nobody keys the same invoice twice.
A clear mandate agreement states who does what by when: document handover, posting deadlines, filing calendar, and responsibility for delays. A shared platform (same data, same document archive) between the company and its fiduciary eliminates binder ping-pong and duplicate entry.
Rickenbach (BL): what changes, what does not
Working with a fiduciary from Rickenbach (BL) no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Rickenbach (BL) are shared online, while the canton Basel-Country keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.
For a business in Rickenbach (BL), that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Basel-Country.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a fiduciary for salary certificate, or can you do it yourself?
Both are defensible. Below CHF 500,000 of revenue, a sole proprietorship may keep simplified accounts itself. As soon as payroll, VAT and a closing with tax stakes are involved, professional support prevents mistakes that cost more than the fees. With a shared platform, the fiduciary does not even need to be in Rickenbach (BL).
What is simplified bookkeeping and who can use it?
Sole proprietorships and partnerships under CHF 500,000 of revenue may limit themselves to recording income, expenses and assets (art. 957 para. 2 CO). Once over the threshold — or upon founding a Sàrl or an SA — full accounts with balance sheet, income statement and notes become mandatory. The CHF 500,000 threshold is assessed the same way in Rickenbach (BL).
How long must records related to salary certificate 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 Rickenbach (BL) can therefore archive fully digitally.
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 Rickenbach (BL) as anywhere.
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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates salary certificate for businesses in Rickenbach (BL): 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.