Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

Accounting document management online in Faido: what every SME should know

Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around accounting document management in Faido, 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.

Digitalising accounting document management: 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.

An SME in Faido that digitalises gains owner time first: less filing, fewer “where is that receipt?” questions, more attention to the trade — that is the real return of accounting document management.

QR-bills and friction-free collections

Clear payment terms, a visible due date, exact details: half of late payments come from ambiguous invoices, not bad payers — the finding holds in Faido too.

For accounting document management, invoicing fast changes everything: a service billed the week it is delivered gets paid noticeably earlier than a month-end batch invoice.

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 Faido as anywhere.

One simple principle drives accounting document management: 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.

Pen pointing at a bar chart on paper

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

The test of a good chart of accounts is a single question: can the owner find the margins in three clicks? If not, the chart serves the tax office but not the business — even in Faido.

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

Faido: what changes, what does not

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

Faido requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 6746 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

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 Faido: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

Do you need a fiduciary for accounting document management, 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 Faido.

What are the current Swiss VAT rates?

Since 1 January 2024: 8.1% (standard), 2.6% (reduced — for example food and medicines) and 3.8% (accommodation). Returns must be filed and paid within 60 days after the period ends (quarterly under the effective method, semi-annually under the net tax rate method). These federal rates apply unchanged in Faido.

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 Faido as anywhere.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates accounting document management for businesses in Faido: 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 document management online in Faido — Swiss guide