SME chart of accounts for restaurants in Les Planchettes: 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 Les Planchettes: 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 Les Planchettes.
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.
Digitalising SME chart of accounts: what actually works
Access for the fiduciary, the auditor and employees is set by roles: view, enter, approve, close. Well-set rights protect the data and speed up collaboration.
An SME in Les Planchettes that digitalises gains owner time first: less filing, fewer “where is that receipt?” questions, more attention to the trade — that is the real return of SME chart of accounts.
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.
Changing fiduciary is not a drama: the accounting data belongs to the company, and a clean export (entries, chart of accounts, linked documents) allows a transition at year-end. A provider who locks in a client's data says a lot about how it works.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
Nearly all Swiss SMEs rely on the standard SME chart of accounts (Sterchi/Käfer): classes 1 (assets) to 9 (closing), with revenue in class 3 and expenses in classes 4 to 6. Using this standard structure makes conversations with your fiduciary, auditor and tax administration far easier.
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.
Les Planchettes: what changes, what does not
Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Les Planchettes: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Neuchâtel.
For a business in Les Planchettes, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Neuchâtel.
Frequently asked questions
Can SME chart of accounts be automated with AI?
Largely, yes: automatic document reading, posting suggestions, bank reconciliation via QR references and VAT exports. Human approval remains essential — AI prepares, the professional checks. That is exactly how MyFiducia.ai approaches SME chart of accounts.
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 Les Planchettes.
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 Les Planchettes can therefore archive fully digitally.
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 Les Planchettes, family allowances follow the canton's rates.
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 Les Planchettes: 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.