Handshake during a business meeting, top view

Accounts receivable for painting contractors in Satigny: rules, deadlines, best practice

Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around accounts receivable in Satigny, 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

In Switzerland, the duty to keep accounts stems from art. 957 ff. of the Code of Obligations. Legal entities (Sàrl, SA) and sole proprietorships with at least CHF 500,000 in revenue keep full accounts: balance sheet, income statement and notes. Below that threshold, a simplified record of income, expenses and assets is sufficient.

The good news: the Swiss frame is stable and predictable. Structure accounts receivable once — chart of accounts, document flow, calendar — and the same organisation pays off for years.

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.

Delays rarely come alone: neglected bookkeeping postpones the closing, hence the tax return, hence the recalculated instalments — and the business flies blind for months. Keeping the books current as you go is the only sustainable way to hold every cascading deadline.

Digitalising accounts receivable: what actually works

Accounting digitalisation always follows the same path: capture documents at the source (photo or PDF upload), let automatic recognition extract supplier, amount, date and VAT, approve the proposed entries, then archive each document linked to its entry. Every step removes a re-keying — and therefore an error source.

An SME in Satigny 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 receivable.

Pen pointing at a bar chart on paper

Outsource accounts receivable or keep it in-house?

The Swiss fiduciary market is dense and governed by professional practice: industry standards, business secrecy, civil liability. Compare offers on three concrete criteria — exact scope (data entry? closing? payroll? VAT?), a named contact person, and the tools used. It prevents year-end misunderstandings.

A business in Satigny can combine the models: internal day-to-day entry, monthly external supervision, closing and taxes with the specialist — accounts receivable splits very well.

Satigny: what changes, what does not

Satigny (postal code 1242, canton Geneva) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Satigny are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

For a business in Satigny, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Geneva.

Frequently asked questions

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 Satigny.

Which documents should be prepared for the year-end closing?

Bank and cash statements at the closing date, the inventory of stock and work in progress, final AHV/LPP/accident settlements, contracts signed or amended during the year, invoices straddling two years and the detail of accruals. With an up-to-date document archive, most of it is already there. The list is identical in Satigny: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

Can accounts receivable be automated with AI?

Largely, yes: automatic document reading, posting suggestions, bank reconciliation via QR references and VAT exports. Human approval remains essential — AI prepares, the professional checks. That is exactly how MyFiducia.ai approaches accounts receivable.

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 Satigny can therefore archive fully digitally.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates accounts receivable for businesses in Satigny: 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.

    Accounts receivable for painting contractors in Satigny