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Accounting step by step in Comano without the stress: how it works

Accounting step by step in Comano 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 accounting

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.

One simple principle drives accounting: 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.

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

Nearly all Swiss SMEs rely on the standard SME chart of accounts (Sterchi/Käfer): classes 1 (assets) to 9 (closing), with revenue in class 3 and expenses in classes 4 to 6. Using this standard structure makes conversations with your fiduciary, auditor and tax administration far easier.

For a business in Comano, the Sterchi/Käfer structure also eases benchmarking: banks and fiduciaries reason on those standard classes to situate an SME's accounting.

Digitalising accounting: what actually works

Digitising does not mean hoarding PDFs: without the document-entry link, a digital file is as opaque as a box of archives — true in Comano as everywhere.

The winning pair for accounting: a single inbox (e-mail, scan, photo) and one simple rule — no document sits more than a few days without a proposed entry.

Team analysing financial charts around a table

Outsource accounting 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 Comano as elsewhere.

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

Comano: what changes, what does not

Comano (postal code 6949, canton Ticino) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Comano are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

Comano requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 6949 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 accounting 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 Comano can therefore archive fully digitally.

What are the legal obligations for accounting 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 Comano: federal law applies.

Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business based in Comano?

Yes: the platform runs online, the rules applied are federal (VAT, CO, AHV), and the file can be shared with any fiduciary. A business in Comano manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.

Do you need a fiduciary for accounting, 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 Comano.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates accounting for businesses in Comano: 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.