Everything that matters about annual accounts for law firms in Fideris
Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Fideris, annual accounts eventually lands on your desk. Here are the practical reference points — legal basis, deadlines and common pitfalls — to decide with a clear head.
Year-end closing: how the mechanics work
The income statement reads as a cascade: gross margin, operating result, financial result, extraordinary result. Each level answers a different question — mixing levels blurs the steering.
The timetable is tight: accounts drawn up and approved by the general meeting within six months of the year-end. For annual accounts, chasing missing documents from January (bank statements, contracts, insurance settlements) avoids the last-minute sprint and auditor reservations.
Outsource annual accounts or keep it in-house?
The Swiss fiduciary market is dense and governed by professional practice: industry standards, business secrecy, civil liability. Compare offers on three concrete criteria — exact scope (data entry? closing? payroll? VAT?), a named contact person, and the tools used. It prevents year-end misunderstandings.
A clear mandate agreement states who does what by when: document handover, posting deadlines, filing calendar, and responsibility for delays. A shared platform (same data, same document archive) between the company and its fiduciary eliminates binder ping-pong and duplicate entry.
The Swiss legal frame for annual accounts
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 Fideris.
Also worth knowing: accounts may be drawn up in the currency most relevant to the business; if that is not the franc, values must additionally be stated in CHF (art. 958d para. 3 CO). Internationally active companies gain books that match their economic reality.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
The professionals' trick: handle every deadline at D-30, not D-1. A VAT return prepared a month early leaves time to chase a missing document without penalty.
For annual accounts, two dates lock themselves in every year: the January salary declaration and the general meeting within six months — everything else is planned around them.
Fideris: what changes, what does not
Working with a fiduciary from Fideris no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Fideris are shared online, while the canton Grisons keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.
For a business in Fideris, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Grisons.
Frequently asked questions
When is entry in the commercial register mandatory?
A Sàrl and an SA only come into existence with their registration. A sole proprietorship must register from CHF 100,000 of annual revenue; below that, registration stays voluntary but adds credibility and protects the business name. Registration goes through the canton's commercial register office — for Fideris too.
How long must records related to annual accounts 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 Fideris can therefore archive fully digitally.
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 Fideris.
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 Fideris, family allowances follow the canton's rates.
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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates annual accounts for businesses in Fideris: 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.