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Online accounting for hair salons in Thun: the practical guide

Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around online accounting in Thun, every SME draws its own line. The reference points below — federal law, cantonal practice and lessons from the field — help you place the cursor well.

Digitalising online accounting: what actually works

The classic digitalisation traps are avoidable: scanning without quality control (unreadable records), stacking disconnected tools (double entry in disguise), or neglecting access rights. One single flow from document to entry, with clear roles, beats five shiny apps.

Migrate in stages: supplier invoices first (high volume, immediate gain), then receivables with the QR-bill, finally payroll and the closing. At each stage, comparing one month before/after is enough to prove the gain — no theoretical promises needed.

Outsource online accounting or keep it in-house?

Outsourcing does not exempt you from understanding: an owner who can read the balance sheet and the income statement challenges the fiduciary better — and pays for advice, not re-keying.

Changing fiduciary is not a drama: the accounting data belongs to the company, and a clean export (entries, chart of accounts, linked documents) allows a transition at year-end. A provider who locks in a client's data says a lot about how it works.

The Swiss legal frame for online accounting

For an owner in Thun, the question is never “do we need accounts?” but “at what level of detail?”. The CO sets the floor; the bank, the tax office and the shareholders set the rest.

For online accounting, the classic early mistake remains mixing private and business: a dedicated bank account and documented private withdrawals eliminate half the discussions with the tax office.

Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

The same chart serves three readings: accounting (accuracy), tax (accepted adjustments) and management (margins by activity). Modern software produces all three views without double entry.

In an SME in Thun, the chart of accounts is also a delegation tool: clear posting rules let a non-accountant prepare most entries without error.

Thun: what changes, what does not

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

Thun requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 3600 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

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 Thun as anywhere.

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 Thun.

How much does online accounting cost in Thun?

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.

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 Thun as anywhere.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

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

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