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Accounting records archiving digitalisation in Port: the practical guide

Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Port, accounting records archiving eventually lands on your desk. Here are the practical reference points — legal basis, deadlines and common pitfalls — to decide with a clear head.

Digitalising accounting records archiving: what actually works

Accounting digitalisation always follows the same path: capture documents at the source (photo or PDF upload), let automatic recognition extract supplier, amount, date and VAT, approve the proposed entries, then archive each document linked to its entry. Every step removes a re-keying — and therefore an error source.

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

QR-bills and friction-free collections

Reminders work best graduated: a neutral first reminder, a firm second, then formal notice — each generated from exact balances, never from memory.

A business in Port can collect by QR-bill even without sophisticated software: what matters is that every incoming payment finds its invoice, manually or automatically.

The Swiss legal frame for accounting records archiving

In Switzerland, the duty to keep accounts stems from art. 957 ff. of the Code of Obligations. Legal entities (Sàrl, SA) and sole proprietorships with at least CHF 500,000 in revenue keep full accounts: balance sheet, income statement and notes. Below that threshold, a simplified record of income, expenses and assets is sufficient.

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

Two people reviewing numerical reports

Outsource accounting records archiving 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 Port as elsewhere.

For accounting records archiving, a quarterly 30-minute check-in with the fiduciary beats an annual marathon: questions get handled while they are small.

Port: what changes, what does not

Port (postal code 2562, canton Bern) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Port are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

Port requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 2562 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 Port as anywhere.

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 Port, family allowances follow the canton's rates.

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 Port as anywhere.

What is simplified bookkeeping and who can use it?

Sole proprietorships and partnerships under CHF 500,000 of revenue may limit themselves to recording income, expenses and assets (art. 957 para. 2 CO). Once over the threshold — or upon founding a Sàrl or an SA — full accounts with balance sheet, income statement and notes become mandatory. The CHF 500,000 threshold is assessed the same way in Port.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates accounting records archiving for businesses in Port: 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.

    Accounting records archiving digitalisation in Port