Team analysing financial charts around a table

Everything that matters about accounting outsourcing guide in Lonay

Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around accounting outsourcing in Lonay, every SME draws its own line. The reference points below — federal law, cantonal practice and lessons from the field — help you place the cursor well.

The Swiss legal frame for accounting outsourcing

Responsibility for the books is personal: in an SA, organising the accounting is one of the board's non-transferable duties (art. 716a CO); in a Sàrl, the managing directors carry the same duty. Outsourcing the execution never transfers that underlying responsibility, including for a company based in Lonay.

Also worth knowing: accounts may be drawn up in the currency most relevant to the business; if that is not the franc, values must additionally be stated in CHF (art. 958d para. 3 CO). Internationally active companies gain books that match their economic reality.

Digitalising accounting outsourcing: what actually works

Access for the fiduciary, the auditor and employees is set by roles: view, enter, approve, close. Well-set rights protect the data and speed up collaboration.

For an owner in Lonay, a dashboard only has value if the data is fresh: automating data entry means, first of all, buying up-to-date information about your own business.

A Swiss SME's accounting calendar

Every deadline has an owner: an obligation “of everyone” is kept by no one. Naming one person per deadline family (VAT, payroll, taxes) closes the gaps.

For accounting outsourcing, two dates lock themselves in every year: the January salary declaration and the general meeting within six months — everything else is planned around them.

Collaborative desk with laptops and documents, top view

Outsource accounting outsourcing 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 Lonay as elsewhere.

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

Lonay: what changes, what does not

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

Federal deadlines do not move in Lonay: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 1027 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.

Frequently asked questions

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

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 Lonay as everywhere in Switzerland.

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 Lonay too.

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 Lonay as anywhere.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates accounting outsourcing for businesses in Lonay: 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.