This page inFRDEENAR

Smiling team looking at a laptop

AHV settlement with AI in Altnau explained simply

Between VAT, social contributions and the year-end close, a Swiss SME juggles dozens of deadlines a year. This page focuses on AHV settlement in Altnau: what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.

The Swiss legal frame for AHV settlement

AHV audits and VAT audits follow the same logic: start from the documents, trace to the entries, check consistency. A business in Altnau with a clean audit trail sails through these exercises.

One simple principle drives AHV settlement: 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.

Digitalising AHV settlement: what actually works

Accounting digitalisation always follows the same path: capture documents at the source (photo or PDF upload), let automatic recognition extract supplier, amount, date and VAT, approve the proposed entries, then archive each document linked to its entry. Every step removes a re-keying — and therefore an error source.

Electronic archiving is fully recognised: Swiss bookkeeping regulation admits electronic retention of records provided integrity and readability are guaranteed for the 10 years of art. 958f CO. A paper binder is no longer an obligation — provided the archiving system is serious.

Outsource AHV settlement 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.

In Altnau, as everywhere, the right collaboration rhythm follows the activity: monthly for payroll and data entry, quarterly for VAT, yearly for the closing and tax advice.

Smiling team looking at a laptop

Salaries and social contributions: the rates to know

A Swiss salary reads in three columns: gross, employee social deductions, employer contributions. Confusing them distorts cost prices — and quotes from businesses in Altnau.

For AHV settlement, the monthly payslip is only the visible part: instalments to the funds, annual settlements and certificates form the real cycle, January to January.

Altnau: what changes, what does not

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

Altnau requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 8595 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

What are the current Swiss VAT rates?

Since 1 January 2024: 8.1% (standard), 2.6% (reduced — for example food and medicines) and 3.8% (accommodation). Returns must be filed and paid within 60 days after the period ends (quarterly under the effective method, semi-annually under the net tax rate method). These federal rates apply unchanged in Altnau.

How much does AHV settlement cost in Altnau?

It depends on document volume, the number of salaries and VAT complexity — no serious figure can be quoted without examining the file. Two levers cut the bill everywhere: digitised, well-filed receipts and software that prepares entries instead of having them re-keyed.

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 Altnau too.

How long must records related to AHV settlement 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 Altnau can therefore archive fully digitally.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

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

    AHV settlement with AI in Altnau | MyFiducia.ai