Everything that matters about accounts receivable for masonry contractors in Berken
Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around accounts receivable in Berken, every SME draws its own line. The reference points below — federal law, cantonal practice and lessons from the field — help you place the cursor well.
The Swiss legal frame for accounts receivable
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 receivable converges on those three pages, in Berken too.
The law also settles the form: accounts may be kept in a national language or in English, on paper or electronically (art. 957a para. 5 CO). That pragmatism lets accounts receivable run entirely on digital tools — no paper binder is required.
Outsource accounts receivable or keep it in-house?
Responsibility stays with the client: the fiduciary executes with care, but the signed accounts bind the company. Understanding what you sign is not optional.
Three signals say it is time to delegate more: missed deadlines (VAT, AHV), entries running months behind, or an owner spending evenings on receipts instead of the business. Conversely, an SME equipped with modern software can safely take day-to-day entry back in-house.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
Every deadline has an owner: an obligation “of everyone” is kept by no one. Naming one person per deadline family (VAT, payroll, taxes) closes the gaps.
For accounts receivable, year-end is prepared in October: last invoices, investment decisions, provisions to assess — December is too late to act, January is for recording.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
A good chart of accounts tells the story of the business: classes 1 and 2 describe what it owns and owes, class 3 what it sells, classes 4 to 6 what it consumes. Private accounts (sole proprietorships) and shareholder current accounts (Sàrl/SA) must stay spotless: they are the first thing examined in a tax audit.
Suspense accounts (to clarify) are useful provided they are emptied monthly: a swelling “miscellaneous” account is the classic symptom of a chart that no longer fits the activity.
Berken: what changes, what does not
Berken (postal code 3376, canton Bern) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Berken are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.
Federal deadlines do not move in Berken: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 3376 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.
Frequently asked questions
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 Berken as anywhere.
How long must records related to accounts receivable 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 Berken can therefore archive fully digitally.
Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business based in Berken?
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 Berken manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.
What are the legal obligations for accounts receivable 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 Berken: federal law applies.
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