Everything that matters about SME chart of accounts template in Martigny
SME chart of accounts template in Martigny rests on three pillars: federal law that applies across Switzerland, cantonal deadlines worth knowing, and tools that eliminate re-keying. This guide puts it all in order, fact by fact.
The Swiss legal frame for SME chart of accounts
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 SME chart of accounts converges on those three pages, in Martigny too.
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.
Outsource SME chart of accounts 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 Martigny as elsewhere.
In Martigny, 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.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
Extensions exist and can be requested: cantonal deadlines for the tax return, deferral of the VAT filing on a reasoned request. But an extension does not stop interest: on VAT, default interest runs from the ordinary due date even when more time has been granted.
For SME chart of accounts, deadline discipline is worth real money: default interest on late VAT, AHV adjustments, tax fines. A shared deadline calendar — fed by up-to-date figures — remains the simplest safeguard.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
Concretely, SME chart of accounts benefits from three tiers: balance-sheet accounts (classes 1-2) kept spotless for the closing, income accounts (classes 3-6) shaped for steering, and closing accounts (class 9) reserved for year-end entries. Each tier has its rhythm and its owner.
The chart of accounts is also the hinge to VAT: every revenue account carries its rate (8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8% or exempt), every expense account its input-tax right. Set those attributes once in the tool and every subsequent return becomes reliable.
Martigny: what changes, what does not
Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Martigny: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Valais.
For a business in Martigny, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Valais.
Frequently asked questions
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 Martigny: the CO dictates it, not the commune.
What are the legal obligations for SME chart of accounts 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 Martigny: federal law applies.
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. Registration goes through the canton's commercial register office — for Martigny too.
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 Martigny can therefore archive fully digitally.
Also worth reading
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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates SME chart of accounts for businesses in Martigny: 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.