Fiduciary services required documents in Thun: the practical guide
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 Thun.
The Swiss legal frame for fiduciary services
A small business does not mean small obligations: from the first salary or the first VAT return, mistakes get expensive — in Thun as anywhere.
One simple principle drives fiduciary services: 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.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
Three families of deadlines shape the year: federal (VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January), cantonal (tax return, extensions depending on the canton, including in Thun) and internal (closing, general meeting within six months). Mixing them up is the leading cause of delays.
For fiduciary services, year-end is prepared in October: last invoices, investment decisions, provisions to assess — December is too late to act, January is for recording.
Outsource fiduciary services or keep it in-house?
A good test before choosing: ask the fiduciary HOW it wants to receive the documents. A precise answer (formats, frequency, platform) says more than any brochure — including in Thun.
Changing fiduciary is not a drama: the accounting data belongs to the company, and a clean export (entries, chart of accounts, linked documents) allows a transition at year-end. A provider who locks in a client's data says a lot about how it works.
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 Thun as anywhere.
The timetable is tight: accounts drawn up and approved by the general meeting within six months of the year-end. For fiduciary services, chasing missing documents from January (bank statements, contracts, insurance settlements) avoids the last-minute sprint and auditor reservations.
Thun: what changes, what does not
Thun (postal code 3600, canton Bern) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Thun are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.
Federal deadlines do not move in Thun: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 3600 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.
Frequently asked questions
Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business based in Thun?
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 Thun manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.
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 Thun as everywhere in Switzerland.
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 Thun as anywhere.
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 Thun.
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