Team analysing financial charts around a table

Accounting legal obligations in Trub: the practical guide

Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Trub, 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 accounting

Three documents summarise the health of a Swiss business: the balance sheet (what it owns), the income statement (what it earns) and the notes (what else you should know). All the work of accounting converges on those three pages, in Trub too.

One simple principle drives accounting: every franc in or out must be explainable by a document, an entry and an account. All of Swiss accounting law fits inside that traceability requirement.

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.

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.

Digitalising 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 Trub as everywhere.

For an SME in Trub, the real gain of digitalised accounting shows day to day: no paper pile at month-end, VAT prepared continuously, and an owner reading today's figures rather than last quarter's.

Two people reviewing numerical reports

Outsource 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.

A business in Trub can combine the models: internal day-to-day entry, monthly external supervision, closing and taxes with the specialist — accounting splits very well.

Trub: what changes, what does not

Trub (postal code 3556, canton Bern) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Trub are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

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

Frequently asked questions

When must a business register for VAT?

As soon as its worldwide annual turnover reaches CHF 100,000 (CHF 250,000 for non-profit sports or cultural associations). Below that, voluntary registration remains possible and often makes sense to reclaim input VAT on investments. The threshold is federal: it applies in Trub as everywhere in Switzerland.

Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business based in Trub?

Yes: the platform runs online, the rules applied are federal (VAT, CO, AHV), and the file can be shared with any fiduciary. A business in Trub manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.

How long must records related to 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 Trub can therefore archive fully digitally.

Do you need a fiduciary for 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 Trub.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates accounting for businesses in Trub: 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.