Annual accounts for dental practices in Riviera: what every SME should know
Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around annual accounts in Riviera, 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.
Year-end closing: how the mechanics work
Depreciation follows rates accepted by tax practice (property, machinery, IT): staying within those ranges avoids reassessments. Exceeding them is justified — and documented, in Riviera as anywhere.
A clean closing pays beyond the legal duty: it conditions the tax return, bank discussions and the company's value in a succession. Hidden reserves (accelerated depreciation, provisions) remain admissible within cantonal tax limits — document them systematically.
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 business in Riviera can combine the models: internal day-to-day entry, monthly external supervision, closing and taxes with the specialist — annual accounts splits very well.
The Swiss legal frame for annual accounts
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.
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 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.
In an SME in Riviera, the chart of accounts is also a delegation tool: clear posting rules let a non-accountant prepare most entries without error.
Riviera: what changes, what does not
Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Riviera: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Ticino.
Riviera requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 6526 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.
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 Riviera as everywhere in Switzerland.
Can annual accounts 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 annual accounts.
What is the difference between a limited and an ordinary audit?
The ordinary audit applies to companies exceeding, for two consecutive years, two of three thresholds: CHF 20 million balance sheet total, CHF 40 million revenue, 250 full-time positions. Others fall under the limited audit, and those with no more than ten full-time positions on annual average can opt out with all shareholders' consent. These federal thresholds do not depend on the registered seat — in Riviera as anywhere.
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 Riviera: the CO dictates it, not the commune.
Also worth reading
In neighbouring municipalities
Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates annual accounts for businesses in Riviera: 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.