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Everything that matters about salary certificate for tradespeople in Fideris

Salary certificate for tradespeople in Fideris rests on three pillars: federal law that applies across Switzerland, cantonal deadlines worth knowing, and tools that eliminate re-keying. This guide puts it all in order, fact by fact.

The Swiss legal frame for salary certificate

For an owner in Fideris, the question is never “do we need accounts?” but “at what level of detail?”. The CO sets the floor; the bank, the tax office and the shareholders set the rest.

One simple principle drives salary certificate: every franc in or out must be explainable by a document, an entry and an account. All of Swiss accounting law fits inside that traceability requirement.

Digitalising salary certificate: what actually works

Security is part of digitalisation: named access, tested backups, encryption of sensitive data. A digital accounting file is protected like a safe — because it is one.

Electronic archiving is fully recognised: Swiss bookkeeping regulation admits electronic retention of records provided integrity and readability are guaranteed for the 10 years of art. 958f CO. A paper binder is no longer an obligation — provided the archiving system is serious.

Salaries and social contributions: the rates to know

Absences are managed upstream: illness, accident, military service or maternity trigger allowances (APG, insurance) that replace part of the salary. Clean absence records are the basis of correct settlements, in Fideris as elsewhere.

An often underestimated point: self-employed status is granted by the compensation office — or not. Whoever invoices essentially one main client risks requalification as an employee, with contribution arrears charged to the principal. Clarifying AHV status before starting avoids that trap.

Handshake during a business meeting, top view

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 Fideris) and internal (closing, general meeting within six months). Mixing them up is the leading cause of delays.

For a business in Fideris, an isolated delay can be caught up; a structural delay is paid in interest, fines and stress. The difference between the two: a system, not good intentions.

Fideris: what changes, what does not

Working with a fiduciary from Fideris no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Fideris are shared online, while the canton Grisons keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.

Fideris requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 7235 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a fiduciary for salary certificate, 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 Fideris.

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 Fideris 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 Fideris as anywhere.

Which documents should be prepared for the year-end closing?

Bank and cash statements at the closing date, the inventory of stock and work in progress, final AHV/LPP/accident settlements, contracts signed or amended during the year, invoices straddling two years and the detail of accruals. With an up-to-date document archive, most of it is already there. The list is identical in Fideris: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates salary certificate for businesses in Fideris: 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.

    Salary certificate for tradespeople in Fideris — Swiss guide