Pen pointing at a bar chart on paper

Everything that matters about online accounting digitalisation in Riehen

Between VAT, social contributions and the year-end close, a Swiss SME juggles dozens of deadlines a year. This page focuses on online accounting in Riehen: what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.

Digitalising online accounting: 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 online accounting: a single inbox (e-mail, scan, photo) and one simple rule — no document sits more than a few days without a proposed entry.

Outsource online accounting or keep it in-house?

Responsibility stays with the client: the fiduciary executes with care, but the signed accounts bind the company. Understanding what you sign is not optional.

A business in Riehen is no longer limited to fiduciaries in its canton: with a shared online platform, collaboration works remotely, documents and entries visible to both sides in real time. The choice widens to all of Switzerland — competence becomes the criterion again, not the postcode.

QR-bills and friction-free collections

Since 30 September 2022, the QR-bill has fully replaced the old Swiss payment slips. The Swiss QR Code carries the IBAN (or QR-IBAN), the amount, the debtor and a structured reference: enough to match every incoming payment to its invoice automatically.

For online accounting, invoicing fast changes everything: a service billed the week it is delivered gets paid noticeably earlier than a month-end batch invoice.

Smiling advisor with a headset at their workstation

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

A chart of accounts gets documented: one description line per account (what, when, VAT) is enough for two people to post the same way. It is the quality manual of online accounting, valid in Riehen as anywhere.

The chart of accounts is also the hinge to VAT: every revenue account carries its rate (8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8% or exempt), every expense account its input-tax right. Set those attributes once in the tool and every subsequent return becomes reliable.

Riehen: what changes, what does not

Riehen (postal code 4125, canton Basel-City) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Riehen are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

Federal deadlines do not move in Riehen: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 4125 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.

Frequently asked questions

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 Riehen as anywhere.

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 Riehen as everywhere in Switzerland.

Do you need a fiduciary for online accounting, 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 Riehen.

How much does online accounting cost in Riehen?

It depends on document volume, the number of salaries and VAT complexity — no serious figure can be quoted without examining the file. Two levers cut the bill everywhere: digitised, well-filed receipts and software that prepares entries instead of having them re-keyed.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates online accounting for businesses in Riehen: 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.