Everything that matters about accounts payable for agencies in Corseaux
Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Corseaux, accounts payable eventually lands on your desk. Here are the practical reference points — legal basis, deadlines and common pitfalls — to decide with a clear head.
The Swiss legal frame for accounts payable
Three documents summarise the health of a Swiss business: the balance sheet (what it owns), the income statement (what it earns) and the notes (what else you should know). All the work of accounts payable converges on those three pages, in Corseaux too.
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.
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.
The useful reflex: date every obligation the moment it arises. An employee hired means AHV/LPP deadlines created; VAT registration means a filing cycle set; a closing date fixed means backward planning of the close. Well organised, the accounts payable calendar fills itself.
Digitalising accounts payable: what actually works
Security is part of digitalisation: named access, tested backups, encryption of sensitive data. A digital accounting file is protected like a safe — because it is one.
For accounts payable, migrating history must not block the start: begin on day one of the current financial year and import the history later if needed.
Outsource accounts payable or keep it in-house?
The scope goes down in writing: who enters data, who approves payments, who answers the tax office, who keeps the originals. Every “we'll see” at the start becomes a December misunderstanding — in Corseaux as elsewhere.
A business in Corseaux is no longer limited to fiduciaries in its canton: with a shared online platform, collaboration works remotely, documents and entries visible to both sides in real time. The choice widens to all of Switzerland — competence becomes the criterion again, not the postcode.
Corseaux: what changes, what does not
Working with a fiduciary from Corseaux no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Corseaux are shared online, while the canton Vaud keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.
Corseaux requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 1802 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 Corseaux.
Which social contributions does a Swiss employer pay?
AHV/IV/APG: 5.3% employer share (the same is withheld from the employee); unemployment insurance: 1.1% each up to CHF 148,200 a year; occupational pension (LPP) by age and plan (employer at least 50%); occupational accident insurance paid by the employer; family allowances by canton. For an employer in Corseaux, family allowances follow the canton's rates.
How long must records related to accounts payable 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 Corseaux can therefore archive fully digitally.
What are the legal obligations for accounts payable 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 Corseaux: federal law applies.
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