Sole proprietorship required documents in Therwil: what every SME should know
Between VAT, social contributions and the year-end close, a Swiss SME juggles dozens of deadlines a year. This page focuses on sole proprietorship in Therwil: what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.
Choosing the structure: Sàrl, SA or sole proprietorship
Articles and internal organisation are written to last: circle of shareholders, transfer of shares, signature rights. Templates do the job at first, but every missing clause gets renegotiated later from a weaker position.
On the sole proprietorship side, the first financial year may be longer or shorter than a calendar year: choosing the first closing date wisely avoids a pointless mini-closing.
Salaries and social contributions: the rates to know
Expense claims are payroll in the broad sense: actual reimbursements against receipts, or flat rates approved by the cantonal tax office in an expense policy. Without a clear rule, every reimbursement becomes a debate.
For sole proprietorship, the gap between agreed gross and paid net surprises every new employer: simulate it BEFORE hiring to avoid misunderstandings with the future employee.
The Swiss legal frame for sole proprietorship
Three documents summarise the health of a Swiss business: the balance sheet (what it owns), the income statement (what it earns) and the notes (what else you should know). All the work of sole proprietorship converges on those three pages, in Therwil too.
For sole proprietorship, the classic early mistake remains mixing private and business: a dedicated bank account and documented private withdrawals eliminate half the discussions with the tax office.
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.
Therwil: what changes, what does not
Working with a fiduciary from Therwil no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Therwil are shared online, while the canton Basel-Country keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.
Therwil requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 4106 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.
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 Therwil as anywhere.
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 Therwil as anywhere.
How much does sole proprietorship cost in Therwil?
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 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 Therwil: 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 sole proprietorship for businesses in Therwil: 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.