Handshake during a business meeting, top view

SME chart of accounts for masonry contractors in Pollegio: rules, deadlines, best practice

Swiss accounting law (art. 957 ff. of the Code of Obligations) sets a precise frame, yet day-to-day practice often stays fuzzy. This guide walks through what actually matters for a business based in Pollegio.

The Swiss legal frame for SME chart of accounts

AHV audits and VAT audits follow the same logic: start from the documents, trace to the entries, check consistency. A business in Pollegio with a clean audit trail sails through these exercises.

Art. 957a CO requires complete, truthful and systematic recording of transactions, each entry backed by a supporting document. For SME chart of accounts, that means in practice: no movement without a receipt, and an audit trail that can be reconstructed at any time — including during a VAT or AHV inspection.

Outsource SME chart of accounts 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.

A clear mandate agreement states who does what by when: document handover, posting deadlines, filing calendar, and responsibility for delays. A shared platform (same data, same document archive) between the company and its fiduciary eliminates binder ping-pong and duplicate entry.

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.

An SME in Pollegio that holds its calendar twelve months straight changes its position: fewer official reminders, easier extensions — and SME chart of accounts stops being a source of worry.

Two people reviewing numerical reports

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 Pollegio as everywhere.

For SME chart of accounts, migrating history must not block the start: begin on day one of the current financial year and import the history later if needed.

Pollegio: what changes, what does not

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

Federal deadlines do not move in Pollegio: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 6742 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.

Frequently asked questions

What are the current Swiss VAT rates?

Since 1 January 2024: 8.1% (standard), 2.6% (reduced — for example food and medicines) and 3.8% (accommodation). Returns must be filed and paid within 60 days after the period ends (quarterly under the effective method, semi-annually under the net tax rate method). These federal rates apply unchanged in Pollegio.

How much does SME chart of accounts cost in Pollegio?

It depends on document volume, the number of salaries and VAT complexity — no serious figure can be quoted without examining the file. Two levers cut the bill everywhere: digitised, well-filed receipts and software that prepares entries instead of having them re-keyed.

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 Pollegio, family allowances follow the canton's rates.

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 Pollegio: federal law applies.

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 Pollegio: 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.