Everything that matters about bookkeeping for daycare centres in Einsiedeln
Swiss accounting law (art. 957 ff. of the Code of Obligations) sets a precise frame, yet day-to-day practice often stays fuzzy. This guide walks through what actually matters for a business based in Einsiedeln.
The Swiss legal frame for bookkeeping
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 bookkeeping converges on those three pages, in Einsiedeln too.
The law also settles the form: accounts may be kept in a national language or in English, on paper or electronically (art. 957a para. 5 CO). That pragmatism lets bookkeeping run entirely on digital tools — no paper binder is required.
Outsource bookkeeping or keep it in-house?
The scope goes down in writing: who enters data, who approves payments, who answers the tax office, who keeps the originals. Every “we'll see” at the start becomes a December misunderstanding — in Einsiedeln as elsewhere.
A business in Einsiedeln can combine the models: internal day-to-day entry, monthly external supervision, closing and taxes with the specialist — bookkeeping splits very well.
A Swiss SME's accounting calendar
January: salary declaration to the compensation office and salary certificates. End of February, May, August, November: quarterly VAT returns (effective method), each to be filed and paid within 60 days after the quarter ends. Within six months of year-end: approved annual accounts. Then: the tax return under cantonal deadlines, with extensions possible.
For bookkeeping, year-end is prepared in October: last invoices, investment decisions, provisions to assess — December is too late to act, January is for recording.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
A chart of accounts gets documented: one description line per account (what, when, VAT) is enough for two people to post the same way. It is the quality manual of bookkeeping, valid in Einsiedeln as anywhere.
In an SME in Einsiedeln, the chart of accounts is also a delegation tool: clear posting rules let a non-accountant prepare most entries without error.
Einsiedeln: what changes, what does not
Einsiedeln (postal code 8836, canton Schwyz) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Einsiedeln are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.
Einsiedeln requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 8836 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.
Frequently asked questions
When is entry in the commercial register mandatory?
A Sàrl and an SA only come into existence with their registration. A sole proprietorship must register from CHF 100,000 of annual revenue; below that, registration stays voluntary but adds credibility and protects the business name. Registration goes through the canton's commercial register office — for Einsiedeln too.
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 Einsiedeln can therefore archive fully digitally.
What are the legal obligations for bookkeeping in Switzerland?
The foundation is the Code of Obligations: proper bookkeeping (art. 957a CO), annual accounts (balance sheet, income statement, notes) and 10-year retention of books and records (art. 958f CO). VAT applies from CHF 100,000 of turnover, and social insurance settlements from the first employee. Nothing is different in Einsiedeln: federal law applies.
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 Einsiedeln.
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