Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

Sole proprietorship for SA companies in Martigny explained simply

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 Martigny: 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 taxes, corporate profit bears direct federal tax at 8.5% (statutory rate) plus cantonal and communal tax — the total effective burden varies markedly between cantons. A realistic business plan and accounts kept from the start make bank credit noticeably easier.

Digitalising sole proprietorship: what actually works

A serious accounting document archive links every record to its entry, timestamps versions and logs access — exactly what Swiss bookkeeping regulation expects from probative electronic retention. Chronological filing by financial year becomes an automatic by-product.

The selection criterion for a tool is not the length of its feature list but the robustness of the daily flow: reliable bank imports, VAT computed correctly (8.1 / 2.6 / 3.8%), a complete audit trail from document to entry, and a clean export for the auditor or fiduciary. Everything else is secondary.

The Swiss legal frame for sole proprietorship

Whether a business sits in Martigny or elsewhere in Switzerland, the same federal law applies — one of the strengths of the Swiss system for sole proprietorship. Cantonal differences concentrate on taxation (rates, filing deadlines); bookkeeping itself follows art. 957 ff. CO everywhere.

Art. 957a CO requires complete, truthful and systematic recording of transactions, each entry backed by a supporting document. For sole proprietorship, 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.

Pen pointing at a bar chart on paper

Swiss VAT: rates, threshold and filings

Exports, services abroad, acquisition tax: as soon as anything international enters the picture, VAT gets demanding (place of supply, acquisition tax on services). Better to set the rules once with a professional than to correct three financial years.

For businesses in Martigny, VAT is in practice the most audited tax: punctual returns consistent with the books markedly reduce the odds of a deep audit of sole proprietorship.

Martigny: what changes, what does not

Martigny (postal code 1906, canton Valais) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Martigny are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

Federal deadlines do not move in Martigny: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 1906 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a fiduciary for sole proprietorship, or can you do it yourself?

Both are defensible. Below CHF 500,000 of revenue, a sole proprietorship may keep simplified accounts itself. As soon as payroll, VAT and a closing with tax stakes are involved, professional support prevents mistakes that cost more than the fees. With a shared platform, the fiduciary does not even need to be in Martigny.

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.

When must a business register for VAT?

As soon as its worldwide annual turnover reaches CHF 100,000 (CHF 250,000 for non-profit sports or cultural associations). Below that, voluntary registration remains possible and often makes sense to reclaim input VAT on investments. The threshold is federal: it applies in Martigny as everywhere in Switzerland.

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 Martigny as anywhere.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates sole proprietorship for businesses in Martigny: 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.

    Sole proprietorship for SA companies in Martigny