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Accounting document management digitalisation in Trub explained simply

Accounting document management digitalisation in Trub 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.

Digitalising accounting document management: 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 Trub as everywhere.

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

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 Trub, the Sterchi/Käfer structure also eases benchmarking: banks and fiduciaries reason on those standard classes to situate an SME's accounting document management.

QR-bills and friction-free collections

Since 30 September 2022, the QR-bill has fully replaced the old Swiss payment slips. The Swiss QR Code carries the IBAN (or QR-IBAN), the amount, the debtor and a structured reference: enough to match every incoming payment to its invoice automatically.

For accounting document management, the share of collections matched automatically is a metric worth watching: when it drops, it is almost always a matter of misused references.

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The Swiss legal frame for accounting document management

A small business does not mean small obligations: from the first salary or the first VAT return, mistakes get expensive — in Trub as anywhere.

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.

Trub: what changes, what does not

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

For a business in Trub, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Bern.

Frequently asked questions

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

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 Trub manages its documents, VAT and exports exactly as anywhere in Switzerland.

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 Trub: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

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 Trub.

How long must records related to accounting document management 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 Trub can therefore archive fully digitally.

Also worth reading

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates accounting document management for businesses in Trub: 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.