This page inFRDEENAR

Pen pointing at a bar chart on paper

SME chart of accounts digitalisation in Schlatt (TG): 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 SME chart of accounts in Schlatt (TG): what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.

The Swiss legal frame for SME chart of accounts

For an owner in Schlatt (TG), the question is never “do we need accounts?” but “at what level of detail?”. The CO sets the floor; the bank, the tax office and the shareholders set the rest.

Also worth knowing: accounts may be drawn up in the currency most relevant to the business; if that is not the franc, values must additionally be stated in CHF (art. 958d para. 3 CO). Internationally active companies gain books that match their economic reality.

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.

For SME chart of accounts, year-end is prepared in October: last invoices, investment decisions, provisions to assess — December is too late to act, January is for recording.

Digitalising SME chart of accounts: what actually works

Digitising does not mean hoarding PDFs: without the document-entry link, a digital file is as opaque as a box of archives — true in Schlatt (TG) as everywhere.

The winning pair for SME chart of accounts: a single inbox (e-mail, scan, photo) and one simple rule — no document sits more than a few days without a proposed entry.

Professional in a suit reviewing documents

Outsource SME chart of accounts or keep it in-house?

Outsourcing does not exempt you from understanding: an owner who can read the balance sheet and the income statement challenges the fiduciary better — and pays for advice, not re-keying.

In Schlatt (TG), as everywhere, the right collaboration rhythm follows the activity: monthly for payroll and data entry, quarterly for VAT, yearly for the closing and tax advice.

Schlatt (TG): what changes, what does not

Working with a fiduciary from Schlatt (TG) no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Schlatt (TG) are shared online, while the canton Thurgau keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.

Schlatt (TG) requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 8252 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

How long must records related to SME chart of accounts 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 Schlatt (TG) can therefore archive fully digitally.

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 Schlatt (TG) as everywhere in Switzerland.

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 Schlatt (TG) as anywhere.

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 Schlatt (TG).

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates SME chart of accounts for businesses in Schlatt (TG): 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.