Handshake during a business meeting, top view

Real estate accounting for architecture firms in Bardonnex: rules, deadlines, best practice

Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around real estate accounting in Bardonnex, 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.

The Swiss legal frame for real estate accounting

Responsibility for the books is personal: in an SA, organising the accounting is one of the board's non-transferable duties (art. 716a CO); in a Sàrl, the managing directors carry the same duty. Outsourcing the execution never transfers that underlying responsibility, including for a company based in Bardonnex.

The annual accounts (art. 958 CO) consist of the balance sheet, the income statement and the notes; they must be drawn up within six months of the year-end so the general meeting can approve them. A delay here cascades into the tax return and the final social insurance settlements.

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

Shareholder current accounts demand strict hygiene: every private withdrawal documented, interest at the rates accepted by the tax administration, and a clean-up at closing.

For a business in Bardonnex, comparability over time beats sophistication: a chart stable for five years beats a “perfect” one rebuilt every year. Banks and the tax administration read year-on-year movements first.

Digitalising real estate accounting: what actually works

Automation is judged on the exceptions: what happens when the document is unreadable, the supplier unknown, the amount divergent? A good tool isolates those cases and lets a human decide fast — precious for teams in Bardonnex.

For an owner in Bardonnex, a dashboard only has value if the data is fresh: automating data entry means, first of all, buying up-to-date information about your own business.

Handshake during a business meeting, top view

A Swiss SME's accounting calendar

Every deadline has an owner: an obligation “of everyone” is kept by no one. Naming one person per deadline family (VAT, payroll, taxes) closes the gaps.

For real estate accounting, two dates lock themselves in every year: the January salary declaration and the general meeting within six months — everything else is planned around them.

Bardonnex: what changes, what does not

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

For a business in Bardonnex, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Geneva.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a fiduciary for real estate 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 Bardonnex.

Can real estate accounting be automated with AI?

Largely, yes: automatic document reading, posting suggestions, bank reconciliation via QR references and VAT exports. Human approval remains essential — AI prepares, the professional checks. That is exactly how MyFiducia.ai approaches real estate accounting.

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 Bardonnex, family allowances follow the canton's rates.

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 Bardonnex.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates real estate accounting for businesses in Bardonnex: 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.

    Real estate accounting for architecture firms in Bardonnex