Team analysing financial charts around a table

Fiduciary services for IT companies in Samnaun: rules, deadlines, best practice

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

The Swiss legal frame for fiduciary services

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 Samnaun.

The annual accounts (art. 958 CO) consist of the balance sheet, the income statement and the notes; they must be drawn up within six months of the year-end so the general meeting can approve them. A delay here cascades into the tax return and the final social insurance settlements.

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 Samnaun 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.

Digitalising fiduciary services: 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.

An SME in Samnaun that digitalises gains owner time first: less filing, fewer “where is that receipt?” questions, more attention to the trade — that is the real return of fiduciary services.

Handshake during a business meeting, top view

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 Samnaun) and internal (closing, general meeting within six months). Mixing them up is the leading cause of delays.

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

Samnaun: what changes, what does not

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

Samnaun requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 7562 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

What are the legal obligations for fiduciary services 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 Samnaun: federal law applies.

Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business based in Samnaun?

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 Samnaun manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere 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 Samnaun as anywhere.

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 Samnaun.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates fiduciary services for businesses in Samnaun: 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.

    Fiduciary services for IT companies in Samnaun — Swiss guide