Handshake during a business meeting, top view

Social security contributions with AI in Altnau: rules, deadlines, best practice

Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Altnau, social security contributions 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 social security contributions

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 Altnau.

The good news: the Swiss frame is stable and predictable. Structure social security contributions once — chart of accounts, document flow, calendar — and the same organisation pays off for years.

Digitalising social security contributions: what actually works

Accounting digitalisation always follows the same path: capture documents at the source (photo or PDF upload), let automatic recognition extract supplier, amount, date and VAT, approve the proposed entries, then archive each document linked to its entry. Every step removes a re-keying — and therefore an error source.

For an owner in Altnau, a dashboard only has value if the data is fresh: automating data entry means, first of all, buying up-to-date information about your own business.

Outsource social security contributions or keep it in-house?

The scope goes down in writing: who enters data, who approves payments, who answers the tax office, who keeps the originals. Every “we'll see” at the start becomes a December misunderstanding — in Altnau as elsewhere.

In Altnau, 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.

Meeting in a bright conference room

A Swiss SME's accounting calendar

Extensions exist and can be requested: cantonal deadlines for the tax return, deferral of the VAT filing on a reasoned request. But an extension does not stop interest: on VAT, default interest runs from the ordinary due date even when more time has been granted.

For social security contributions, year-end is prepared in October: last invoices, investment decisions, provisions to assess — December is too late to act, January is for recording.

Altnau: what changes, what does not

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

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

Frequently asked questions

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

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

Effective VAT method or net tax rate: how to choose?

The effective method deducts actual input VAT and files quarterly; the net tax rate method applies a flat industry rate to turnover, semi-annually, with no separate input VAT deduction. The flat rate suits low-cost structures; as investments grow, the effective method usually wins again. The choice rests on the company's own figures, in Altnau as anywhere.

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 Altnau, family allowances follow the canton's rates.

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 Altnau as everywhere in Switzerland.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates social security contributions for businesses in Altnau: 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.

    Social security contributions with AI in Altnau