Pen pointing at a bar chart on paper

Everything that matters about AHV settlement digitalisation in Fiez

Swiss accounting law (art. 957 ff. of the Code of Obligations) sets a precise frame, yet day-to-day practice often stays fuzzy. This guide walks through what actually matters for a business based in Fiez.

The Swiss legal frame for AHV settlement

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 Fiez.

Late books show from the outside: poorly calibrated tax instalments, provisional filings, slow answers to the bank. Staying current is also a matter of image.

Outsource AHV settlement or keep it in-house?

Responsibility stays with the client: the fiduciary executes with care, but the signed accounts bind the company. Understanding what you sign is not optional.

For AHV settlement, a quarterly 30-minute check-in with the fiduciary beats an annual marathon: questions get handled while they are small.

A Swiss SME's accounting calendar

The typical annual cycle: monthly or quarterly AHV instalments, VAT returns (quarterly under the effective method, semi-annual under the net tax rate), the final salary declaration in January, closing in the first half-year, then the tax return and the annual VAT reconciliation. Each link depends on the quality of the previous one.

For AHV settlement, two dates lock themselves in every year: the January salary declaration and the general meeting within six months — everything else is planned around them.

Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

Digitalising AHV settlement: what actually works

Artificial intelligence has changed the economics of AHV settlement: automatic invoice reading reaches recognition rates that make manual entry marginal, and posting suggestions learn from corrections. The accountant does not disappear — the job shifts from data entry to control and advice.

For an owner in Fiez, 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.

Fiez: what changes, what does not

Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Fiez: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Vaud.

Fiez requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 1420 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a fiduciary for AHV settlement, 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 Fiez.

Effective VAT method or net tax rate: how to choose?

The effective method deducts actual input VAT and files quarterly; the net tax rate method applies a flat industry rate to turnover, semi-annually, with no separate input VAT deduction. The flat rate suits low-cost structures; as investments grow, the effective method usually wins again. The choice rests on the company's own figures, in Fiez 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 Fiez: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

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 Fiez.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates AHV settlement for businesses in Fiez: 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.