Accounts payable for daycare centres: rules, deadlines, best practice
Accounts payable for daycare centres raises the same questions for most Swiss SME owners: which obligations apply, which deadlines are running, which documents to prepare. This page covers the federal rules in force — without unnecessary jargon.
The Swiss legal frame for accounts payable
A small business does not mean small obligations: from the first salary or the first VAT return, mistakes get expensive.
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.
Outsource accounts payable or keep it in-house?
Outsourcing accounts payable 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.
For accounts payable, a quarterly 30-minute check-in with the fiduciary beats an annual marathon: questions get handled while they are small.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
The professionals' trick: handle every deadline at D-30, not D-1. A VAT return prepared a month early leaves time to chase a missing document without penalty.
For accounts payable, two dates lock themselves in every year: the January salary declaration and the general meeting within six months — everything else is planned around them.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
Nearly all Swiss SMEs rely on the standard SME chart of accounts (Sterchi/Käfer): classes 1 (assets) to 9 (closing), with revenue in class 3 and expenses in classes 4 to 6. Using this standard structure makes conversations with your fiduciary, auditor and tax administration far easier.
For accounts payable, a few well-chosen analytical accounts (by activity, by site) beat a forest of sub-accounts nobody ever reads.
Digitalising accounts payable: what actually works
Artificial intelligence has changed the economics of accounts payable: automatic invoice reading reaches recognition rates that make manual entry marginal, and posting suggestions learn from corrections. The accountant does not disappear — the job shifts from data entry to control and advice.
An SME 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 accounts payable.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Also worth reading
This guide by municipality
Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
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