Social security contributions for beauty salons in Vevey: what every SME should know
Between VAT, social contributions and the year-end close, a Swiss SME juggles dozens of deadlines a year. This page focuses on social security contributions in Vevey: what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.
The Swiss legal frame for social security contributions
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. Social security contributions sits squarely within this frame, including for companies based in Vevey.
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.
Salaries and social contributions: the rates to know
Family allowances are financed by the employer through a cantonal compensation fund — rates and amounts vary from canton to canton, including in Vevey. They come on top of the federal social insurances and appear on every payslip.
For social security contributions, the monthly payslip is only the visible part: instalments to the funds, annual settlements and certificates form the real cycle, January to January.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
The professionals' trick: handle every deadline at D-30, not D-1. A VAT return prepared a month early leaves time to chase a missing document without penalty.
For social security contributions, two dates lock themselves in every year: the January salary declaration and the general meeting within six months — everything else is planned around them.
Digitalising social security contributions: 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 winning pair for social security contributions: a single inbox (e-mail, scan, photo) and one simple rule — no document sits more than a few days without a proposed entry.
Vevey: what changes, what does not
Vevey (postal code 1800, canton Vaud) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Vevey are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.
For a business in Vevey, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Vaud.
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 Vevey, family allowances follow the canton's rates.
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 Vevey.
How long must records related to social security contributions 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 Vevey can therefore archive fully digitally.
Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business based in Vevey?
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 Vevey manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.
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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates social security contributions for businesses in Vevey: AI-read documents, posting suggestions, VAT and exports ready for your fiduciary. Try the platform or browse our other guides.
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