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Bookkeeping example in Borex: what every SME should know

Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around bookkeeping in Borex, every SME draws its own line. The reference points below — federal law, cantonal practice and lessons from the field — help you place the cursor well.

The Swiss legal frame for bookkeeping

AHV audits and VAT audits follow the same logic: start from the documents, trace to the entries, check consistency. A business in Borex with a clean audit trail sails through these exercises.

Late books show from the outside: poorly calibrated tax instalments, provisional filings, slow answers to the bank. Staying current is also a matter of image.

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

Concretely, bookkeeping benefits from three tiers: balance-sheet accounts (classes 1-2) kept spotless for the closing, income accounts (classes 3-6) shaped for steering, and closing accounts (class 9) reserved for year-end entries. Each tier has its rhythm and its owner.

In an SME in Borex, the chart of accounts is also a delegation tool: clear posting rules let a non-accountant prepare most entries without error.

Digitalising bookkeeping: 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.

For bookkeeping, migrating history must not block the start: begin on day one of the current financial year and import the history later if needed.

Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

A Swiss SME's accounting calendar

An accounting calendar only lives if it is shared: owner, in-house bookkeeper and fiduciary must see the same deadlines and the same status — the rule holds for every SME in Borex.

For bookkeeping, deadline discipline is worth real money: default interest on late VAT, AHV adjustments, tax fines. A shared deadline calendar — fed by up-to-date figures — remains the simplest safeguard.

Borex: what changes, what does not

Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Borex: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Vaud.

Federal deadlines do not move in Borex: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 1277 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 Borex as anywhere.

Do you need a fiduciary for bookkeeping, 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 Borex.

How long must records related to bookkeeping 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 Borex 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 Borex, family allowances follow the canton's rates.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates bookkeeping for businesses in Borex: 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.