Real estate accounting digitalisation in Ollon: the practical guide
Real estate accounting digitalisation in Ollon rests on three pillars: federal law that applies across Switzerland, cantonal deadlines worth knowing, and tools that eliminate re-keying. This guide puts it all in order, fact by fact.
The Swiss legal frame for real estate accounting
In Switzerland, the duty to keep accounts stems from art. 957 ff. of the Code of Obligations. Legal entities (Sàrl, SA) and sole proprietorships with at least CHF 500,000 in revenue keep full accounts: balance sheet, income statement and notes. Below that threshold, a simplified record of income, expenses and assets is sufficient.
For real estate 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.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
The test of a good chart of accounts is a single question: can the owner find the margins in three clicks? If not, the chart serves the tax office but not the business — even in Ollon.
For real estate accounting, a few well-chosen analytical accounts (by activity, by site) beat a forest of sub-accounts nobody ever reads.
Digitalising real estate accounting: 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 real estate accounting, migrating history must not block the start: begin on day one of the current financial year and import the history later if needed.
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 real estate accounting, deadline discipline is worth real money: default interest on late VAT, AHV adjustments, tax fines. A shared deadline calendar — fed by up-to-date figures — remains the simplest safeguard.
Ollon: what changes, what does not
Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Ollon: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Vaud.
For a business in Ollon, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Vaud.
Frequently asked questions
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 Ollon.
How much does real estate accounting cost in Ollon?
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.
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 Ollon: the CO dictates it, not the commune.
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 Ollon.
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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
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