Sole proprietorship how to choose in Tannay explained simply
Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Tannay, sole proprietorship eventually lands on your desk. Here are the practical reference points — legal basis, deadlines and common pitfalls — to decide with a clear head.
Choosing the structure: Sàrl, SA or sole proprietorship
A Sàrl requires CHF 20,000 of fully paid-in capital; an SA CHF 100,000 of which at least CHF 50,000 paid in. Both require a notarised deed and entry in the commercial register. A sole proprietorship arises from mere activity — registration only becomes mandatory from CHF 100,000 of annual revenue.
Settling in Tannay also means thinking about insurance from incorporation: professional liability, property, business interruption — the accounts keep track of them and the closing allocates them correctly.
Swiss VAT: rates, threshold and filings
Since 1 January 2024, Swiss VAT rates are 8.1% (standard), 2.6% (reduced — food, books, medicines) and 3.8% (accommodation). Registration becomes mandatory from CHF 100,000 of worldwide annual turnover. For sole proprietorship, step one is therefore checking the threshold and choosing the right reporting method.
The right reflex for sole proprietorship: file every supplier invoice with its VAT on receipt. Forgotten input VAT is money definitively lost once the limitation period runs out.
Salaries and social contributions: the rates to know
Family allowances are financed by the employer through a cantonal compensation fund — rates and amounts vary from canton to canton, including in Tannay. They come on top of the federal social insurances and appear on every payslip.
An employer in Tannay does well to fix payday on a set day of the month: funds, employees and cash flow organise around it, and sole proprietorship becomes routine instead of a sprint.
The Swiss legal frame for sole proprietorship
A small business does not mean small obligations: from the first salary or the first VAT return, mistakes get expensive — in Tannay as anywhere.
The good news: the Swiss frame is stable and predictable. Structure sole proprietorship once — chart of accounts, document flow, calendar — and the same organisation pays off for years.
Tannay: what changes, what does not
Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Tannay: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Vaud.
For a business in Tannay, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Vaud.
Frequently asked questions
Can sole proprietorship 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 sole proprietorship.
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 Tannay.
How long must records related to sole proprietorship 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 Tannay can therefore archive fully digitally.
What is the difference between a limited and an ordinary audit?
The ordinary audit applies to companies exceeding, for two consecutive years, two of three thresholds: CHF 20 million balance sheet total, CHF 40 million revenue, 250 full-time positions. Others fall under the limited audit, and those with no more than ten full-time positions on annual average can opt out with all shareholders' consent. These federal thresholds do not depend on the registered seat — in Tannay as anywhere.
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MyFiducia.ai automates sole proprietorship for businesses in Tannay: AI-read documents, posting suggestions, VAT and exports ready for your fiduciary. Try the platform or browse our other guides.
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