Smiling team looking at a laptop

Real estate accounting for architecture firms in Erlenbach (ZH) without the stress: how it works

Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Erlenbach (ZH), real estate accounting eventually lands on your desk. Here are the practical reference points — legal basis, deadlines and common pitfalls — to decide with a clear head.

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.

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 Erlenbach (ZH), 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

Access for the fiduciary, the auditor and employees is set by roles: view, enter, approve, close. Well-set rights protect the data and speed up collaboration.

For an owner in Erlenbach (ZH), 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.

Smiling advisor with a headset at their workstation

A Swiss SME's accounting calendar

An accounting calendar only lives if it is shared: owner, in-house bookkeeper and fiduciary must see the same deadlines and the same status — the rule holds for every SME in Erlenbach (ZH).

For a business in Erlenbach (ZH), an isolated delay can be caught up; a structural delay is paid in interest, fines and stress. The difference between the two: a system, not good intentions.

Erlenbach (ZH): what changes, what does not

Erlenbach (ZH) (postal code 8703, canton Zurich) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Erlenbach (ZH) are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

For a business in Erlenbach (ZH), that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Zurich.

Frequently asked questions

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.

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 Erlenbach (ZH).

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 Erlenbach (ZH), family allowances follow the canton's rates.

How long must records related to real estate accounting be kept?

Ten years from the end of the financial year concerned (art. 958f CO). Electronic retention is permitted if the integrity and readability of the records are guaranteed — a serious digital archive validly replaces paper binders. A business in Erlenbach (ZH) can therefore archive fully digitally.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates real estate accounting for businesses in Erlenbach (ZH): 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 in Erlenbach (ZH)