Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

Online accounting for masonry contractors in Rafz: 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 online accounting in Rafz: what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.

Digitalising online accounting: what actually works

Digitising does not mean hoarding PDFs: without the document-entry link, a digital file is as opaque as a box of archives — true in Rafz as everywhere.

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.

The Swiss legal frame for online accounting

AHV audits and VAT audits follow the same logic: start from the documents, trace to the entries, check consistency. A business in Rafz with a clean audit trail sails through these exercises.

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

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 Rafz as anywhere.

Standard numbering also enables automation: stable posting rules (same supplier, same account) make data entry predictable and the audit faster. Avoid changing the chart of accounts mid-year — migrate at the closing date, with a documented mapping table.

Team analysing financial charts around a table

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.

In Rafz, 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.

Rafz: what changes, what does not

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

Rafz requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 8197 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

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 Rafz.

How much does online accounting cost in Rafz?

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 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 Rafz.

Which documents should be prepared for the year-end closing?

Bank and cash statements at the closing date, the inventory of stock and work in progress, final AHV/LPP/accident settlements, contracts signed or amended during the year, invoices straddling two years and the detail of accruals. With an up-to-date document archive, most of it is already there. The list is identical in Rafz: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

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

    Online accounting for masonry contractors in Rafz