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Salary certificate for daycare centres in Erlen: the practical guide

Salary certificate for daycare centres in Erlen 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.

The Swiss legal frame for salary certificate

In Switzerland, the duty to keep accounts stems from art. 957 ff. of the Code of Obligations. Legal entities (Sàrl, SA) and sole proprietorships with at least CHF 500,000 in revenue keep full accounts: balance sheet, income statement and notes. Below that threshold, a simplified record of income, expenses and assets is sufficient.

One simple principle drives salary certificate: every franc in or out must be explainable by a document, an entry and an account. All of Swiss accounting law fits inside that traceability requirement.

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.

For salary certificate, the gap between agreed gross and paid net surprises every new employer: simulate it BEFORE hiring to avoid misunderstandings with the future employee.

Digitalising salary certificate: what actually works

A serious accounting document archive links every record to its entry, timestamps versions and logs access — exactly what Swiss bookkeeping regulation expects from probative electronic retention. Chronological filing by financial year becomes an automatic by-product.

The selection criterion for a tool is not the length of its feature list but the robustness of the daily flow: reliable bank imports, VAT computed correctly (8.1 / 2.6 / 3.8%), a complete audit trail from document to entry, and a clean export for the auditor or fiduciary. Everything else is secondary.

Handshake during a business meeting, top view

Outsource salary certificate 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 Erlen.

In Erlen, as everywhere, the right collaboration rhythm follows the activity: monthly for payroll and data entry, quarterly for VAT, yearly for the closing and tax advice.

Erlen: what changes, what does not

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

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

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 Erlen as anywhere.

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

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 Erlen manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.

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 Erlen.

What are the legal obligations for salary certificate 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 Erlen: federal law applies.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates salary certificate for businesses in Erlen: 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.

    Salary certificate for daycare centres in Erlen