Meeting in a bright conference room

SME chart of accounts for SMEs in Fey explained simply

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 Fey: what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.

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 Fey.

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.

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 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.

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

A good chart of accounts tells the story of the business: classes 1 and 2 describe what it owns and owes, class 3 what it sells, classes 4 to 6 what it consumes. Private accounts (sole proprietorships) and shareholder current accounts (Sàrl/SA) must stay spotless: they are the first thing examined in a tax audit.

For SME chart of accounts, a few well-chosen analytical accounts (by activity, by site) beat a forest of sub-accounts nobody ever reads.

Team analysing financial charts around a table

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

A fiduciary's cost depends first on the quality of the data received: digitised, filed, reconciled documents are processed fast; a box of loose receipts is billed by the hour. Improving the internal preparation of SME chart of accounts lowers fees more surely than any negotiation.

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.

Fey: what changes, what does not

Fey (postal code 1044, canton Vaud) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Fey are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

Federal deadlines do not move in Fey: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 1044 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.

Frequently asked questions

Effective VAT method or net tax rate: how to choose?

The effective method deducts actual input VAT and files quarterly; the net tax rate method applies a flat industry rate to turnover, semi-annually, with no separate input VAT deduction. The flat rate suits low-cost structures; as investments grow, the effective method usually wins again. The choice rests on the company's own figures, in Fey as anywhere.

Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business based in Fey?

Yes: the platform runs online, the rules applied are federal (VAT, CO, AHV), and the file can be shared with any fiduciary. A business in Fey manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.

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 Fey too.

How much does SME chart of accounts cost in Fey?

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.

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 Fey: 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.