Collaborative desk with laptops and documents, top view

SME chart of accounts for IT companies in Bauma: rules, deadlines, best practice

SME chart of accounts for IT companies in Bauma 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 SME chart of accounts

Swiss accounting law has been unified in the Code of Obligations since 2013: the same bookkeeping rules (art. 957a CO) and retention rules (art. 958f CO — 10 years for books, vouchers and reports) apply regardless of legal form. SME chart of accounts sits squarely within this frame, including for companies based in Bauma.

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

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 a business in Bauma, an isolated delay can be caught up; a structural delay is paid in interest, fines and stress. The difference between the two: a system, not good intentions.

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 Bauma as everywhere.

For an SME in Bauma, the real gain of digitalised SME chart of accounts shows day to day: no paper pile at month-end, VAT prepared continuously, and an owner reading today's figures rather than last quarter's.

Smiling advisor with a headset at their workstation

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 Bauma as elsewhere.

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

Bauma: what changes, what does not

Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Bauma: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Zurich.

Federal deadlines do not move in Bauma: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 8493 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.

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 Bauma can therefore archive fully digitally.

Do you need a fiduciary for SME chart of accounts, or can you do it yourself?

Both are defensible. Below CHF 500,000 of revenue, a sole proprietorship may keep simplified accounts itself. As soon as payroll, VAT and a closing with tax stakes are involved, professional support prevents mistakes that cost more than the fees. With a shared platform, the fiduciary does not even need to be in Bauma.

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. For an employer in Bauma, family allowances follow the canton's rates.

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 Bauma: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

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 Bauma: 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.