Everything that matters about bookkeeping for physiotherapy practices in Saint-Oyens
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 Saint-Oyens.
The Swiss legal frame for bookkeeping
Swiss accounting law has been unified in the Code of Obligations since 2013: the same bookkeeping rules (art. 957a CO) and retention rules (art. 958f CO — 10 years for books, vouchers and reports) apply regardless of legal form. Bookkeeping sits squarely within this frame, including for companies based in Saint-Oyens.
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.
Digitalising bookkeeping: what actually works
Automation is judged on the exceptions: what happens when the document is unreadable, the supplier unknown, the amount divergent? A good tool isolates those cases and lets a human decide fast — precious for teams in Saint-Oyens.
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.
Outsource bookkeeping or keep it in-house?
A fiduciary's cost depends first on the quality of the data received: digitised, filed, reconciled documents are processed fast; a box of loose receipts is billed by the hour. Improving the internal preparation of bookkeeping lowers fees more surely than any negotiation.
A business in Saint-Oyens 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
Three families of deadlines shape the year: federal (VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January), cantonal (tax return, extensions depending on the canton, including in Saint-Oyens) and internal (closing, general meeting within six months). Mixing them up is the leading cause of delays.
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.
Saint-Oyens: what changes, what does not
Saint-Oyens (postal code 1187, canton Vaud) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Saint-Oyens are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.
Saint-Oyens requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 1187 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.
Frequently asked questions
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 Saint-Oyens can therefore archive fully digitally.
How much does bookkeeping cost in Saint-Oyens?
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 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 Saint-Oyens, family allowances follow the canton's rates.
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 Saint-Oyens.
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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates bookkeeping for businesses in Saint-Oyens: 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.