Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

Fiduciary services for SA companies in Hemmiken: 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 Hemmiken: what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.

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 Hemmiken as anywhere.

For fiduciary services, the classic early mistake remains mixing private and business: a dedicated bank account and documented private withdrawals eliminate half the discussions with the tax office.

A Swiss SME's accounting calendar

Tax instalments are steered: too low, they set up a salty final bill; too high, they tie up cash. Adjusting them on current figures is a profitable reflex, in Hemmiken as anywhere.

Handing deadline monitoring to a tool is no luxury: automatic reminders, a status per obligation, and an “all green” view that clears the mind. What matters is not who ticks the box — but that the box exists and everyone can see it.

Outsource fiduciary services or keep it in-house?

Outsourcing fiduciary services to a fiduciary frees up time and secures compliance; keeping it in-house preserves a continuous view and costs less in fees. The best answer is often hybrid: the company captures and digitises as it goes, the fiduciary supervises, closes the books and represents the company before the authorities.

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.

Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

Year-end closing: how the mechanics work

Companies exceeding two of three thresholds for two consecutive years — CHF 20 million balance sheet total, CHF 40 million revenue, 250 full-time positions — move to an ordinary audit. Below that, the limited audit applies, and companies with no more than ten full-time positions on annual average can opt out with the consent of all shareholders.

For fiduciary services, a closing checklist reused every year transforms the exercise: same steps, same checks, same documents — only the year changes.

Hemmiken: what changes, what does not

Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Hemmiken: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Basel-Country.

Hemmiken requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 4465 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 Hemmiken.

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 Hemmiken as everywhere in Switzerland.

Do you need a fiduciary for fiduciary services, 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 Hemmiken.

What is the difference between a limited and an ordinary audit?

The ordinary audit applies to companies exceeding, for two consecutive years, two of three thresholds: CHF 20 million balance sheet total, CHF 40 million revenue, 250 full-time positions. Others fall under the limited audit, and those with no more than ten full-time positions on annual average can opt out with all shareholders' consent. These federal thresholds do not depend on the registered seat — in Hemmiken as anywhere.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates fiduciary services for businesses in Hemmiken: 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 SA companies in Hemmiken