SA incorporation for startups in Eptingen: the practical guide
SA incorporation for startups in Eptingen raises the same questions for most Swiss SME owners: which obligations apply, which deadlines are running, which documents to prepare. This page covers the federal rules in force — without unnecessary jargon.
Choosing the structure: Sàrl, SA or sole proprietorship
A Sàrl requires CHF 20,000 of fully paid-in capital; an SA CHF 100,000 of which at least CHF 50,000 paid in. Both require a notarised deed and entry in the commercial register. A sole proprietorship arises from mere activity — registration only becomes mandatory from CHF 100,000 of annual revenue.
SA incorporation starts on day one: founding capital, notary and register fees are the first entries. Opening a separate business bank account immediately — even for a sole proprietorship — saves hours of sorting private from business.
Salaries and social contributions: the rates to know
Hiring the first employee triggers everything at once: affiliation to AHV and LPP funds, accident insurance, family allowances, working-time rules. A complete payroll file from day one avoids catch-ups.
For SA incorporation, the practical challenge is the calendar: AHV instalments during the year, salary declaration to the compensation office in January, salary certificates for staff, and final LPP/accident settlements. A clean payroll base avoids unpleasant catch-up invoices.
Digitalising SA incorporation: what actually works
The classic digitalisation traps are avoidable: scanning without quality control (unreadable records), stacking disconnected tools (double entry in disguise), or neglecting access rights. One single flow from document to entry, with clear roles, beats five shiny apps.
The selection criterion for a tool is not the length of its feature list but the robustness of the daily flow: reliable bank imports, VAT computed correctly (8.1 / 2.6 / 3.8%), a complete audit trail from document to entry, and a clean export for the auditor or fiduciary. Everything else is secondary.
The Swiss legal frame for SA incorporation
Swiss accounting law has been unified in the Code of Obligations since 2013: the same bookkeeping rules (art. 957a CO) and retention rules (art. 958f CO — 10 years for books, vouchers and reports) apply regardless of legal form. SA incorporation sits squarely within this frame, including for companies based in Eptingen.
The law also settles the form: accounts may be kept in a national language or in English, on paper or electronically (art. 957a para. 5 CO). That pragmatism lets SA incorporation run entirely on digital tools — no paper binder is required.
Eptingen: what changes, what does not
Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Eptingen: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Basel-Country.
For a business in Eptingen, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Basel-Country.
Frequently asked questions
Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business based in Eptingen?
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 Eptingen manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.
What are the legal obligations for SA incorporation in Switzerland?
The foundation is the Code of Obligations: proper bookkeeping (art. 957a CO), annual accounts (balance sheet, income statement, notes) and 10-year retention of books and records (art. 958f CO). VAT applies from CHF 100,000 of turnover, and social insurance settlements from the first employee. Nothing is different in Eptingen: federal law applies.
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 Eptingen.
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 Eptingen, family allowances follow the canton's rates.
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MyFiducia.ai automates SA incorporation for businesses in Eptingen: AI-read documents, posting suggestions, VAT and exports ready for your fiduciary. Try the platform or browse our other guides.
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