This page inFRDEENAR

A watchmaker leaning over an antique wooden table clock, repairing it with a small tool at his bench lit by workshop lamps.

Everything that matters about accounting for repair of footwear and leather goods

NOGA code 952300 · OTHER SERVICE ACTIVITIES

Accounting for repair of footwear and leather goods raises the same questions for most Swiss SME owners: which obligations apply, which deadlines are running, which documents to prepare. This page covers the federal rules in force — without unnecessary jargon.

The Swiss legal frame for accounting

The same federal law applies — one of the strengths of the Swiss system for accounting. Cantonal differences concentrate on taxation (rates, filing deadlines); bookkeeping itself follows art. 957 ff. CO everywhere.

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.

A Swiss SME's accounting calendar

Extensions exist and can be requested: cantonal deadlines for the tax return, deferral of the VAT filing on a reasoned request. But an extension does not stop interest: on VAT, default interest runs from the ordinary due date even when more time has been granted.

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.

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.

Comparability over time beats sophistication: a chart stable for five years beats a “perfect” one rebuilt every year. Banks and the tax administration read year-on-year movements first.

A watchmaker leaning over an antique wooden table clock, repairing it with a small tool at his bench lit by workshop lamps.

Digitalising accounting: what actually works

A serious accounting document archive links every record to its entry, timestamps versions and logs access — exactly what Swiss bookkeeping regulation expects from probative electronic retention. Chronological filing by financial year becomes an automatic by-product.

The real gain of digitalised accounting shows day to day: no paper pile at month-end, VAT prepared continuously, and an owner reading today's figures rather than last quarter's.

Outsource accounting or keep it in-house?

A fiduciary's cost depends first on the quality of the data received: digitised, filed, reconciled documents are processed fast; a box of loose receipts is billed by the hour. Improving the internal preparation of accounting lowers fees more surely than any negotiation.

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

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.

Does MyFiducia.ai work for a business anywhere in Switzerland?

Yes: the platform runs online, the rules applied are federal (VAT, CO, AHV), and the file can be shared with any fiduciary. Cantonal specifics (taxes, allowances) are configured in your file.

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.

How much does accounting cost in Switzerland?

It depends on document volume, the number of salaries and VAT complexity — no serious figure can be quoted without examining the file. Two levers cut the bill everywhere: digitised, well-filed receipts and software that prepares entries instead of having them re-keyed.

Professions in the same sector

This guide by municipality

Also worth reading

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates accounting for Swiss SMEs: 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.

Source: NOGA 2008 nomenclature, Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO). A statistical nomenclature: it describes an activity and is not a commercial register entry.