Bookkeeping in Switzerland: CHF bank statements, receipts and invoices
Finn keeps your books in Swiss francs and handles other currencies with exchange rates applied to each transaction. Import a bank statement as CSV or PDF, or connect Mercury, Wise, Stripe or Revolut, and Finn categorises every line using the context of your business, your open invoices and your past activity. It does not rely on keyword rules that break on the next bank export.
Receipts can arrive any way that suits you. Forward them by email, send a photo on WhatsApp, or drop them into Telegram or Slack. Finn reads each document, extracts the supplier, date, amount and MWST, links it to the matching bank transaction and files it. Every entry lands in a double-entry ledger, so the profit and loss and balance sheet always agree with the underlying records.
- Bank statements by CSV or PDF, plus Mercury, Wise, Stripe and Revolut
- Receipts by email, WhatsApp, Telegram or Slack
- Payments matched to invoices and bills automatically
28 OctThe AHV contributions, Sept lands on 28 Oct. Finn puts it on your calendar and reminds you ahead of it.
MWST (Mehrwertsteuer) return software: 8.1% standard rate and quarterly filing
Swiss VAT is called MWST in German, TVA in French and IVA in Italian. Since 1 January 2024 the standard rate is 8.1%, with a reduced rate of 2.6% for foodstuffs, medicines, books and newspapers, and a special rate of 3.8% for accommodation. Registration is mandatory once worldwide turnover reaches CHF 100,000 a year, and below that it is voluntary.
The default filing rhythm is quarterly, due within 60 days of the end of the period. Finn tracks the MWST on every sale and purchase, totals each period and prepares the figures for the return, flagging anything that looks wrong before you look at it. You file through the ESTV portal yourself. Finn prepares the numbers and reminds you of the date, but it does not submit the return on your behalf.
Gewinnsteuer (company profit tax) and the ESTV compliant approach
Swiss company tax stacks at three levels: federal, cantonal and communal. The federal direct tax is 8.5% of after-tax profit, which works out at about 7.83% of pre-tax profit, and there is no federal capital tax. Adding the cantonal and communal layers, the combined effective rate runs from roughly 11.9% to 21% depending on where the company is based. Zug, Nidwalden and Lucerne sit near 12%, while Bern and Geneva are closer to 21%.
Because the canton and commune decide most of the bill, Finn will not quote a single Swiss rate. It calculates the federal layer, shows you your profit as the ledger records it, and tells you to confirm the cantonal and communal rate with a local Treuhänder. Return deadlines are set by each canton, typically between 31 March and 30 June for companies, often extendable to around 30 September.
- Federal direct tax 8.5% on after-tax profit, about 7.83% effective
- Combined rate roughly 11.9% to 21% by canton and commune
Swiss payroll: AHV, ALV and BVG social insurance contributions
Employers pay into several schemes. The first pillar is AHV/IV/EO (old age, disability and loss of earnings insurance), at 10.6% of gross salary split equally, so 5.3% each for employer and employee, with no ceiling. ALV (unemployment insurance) is 2.2%, split 1.1% each, on salary up to CHF 148,200. These are settled annually with your Ausgleichskasse.
The second pillar is the BVG (occupational pension), mandatory for employees earning at least CHF 22,680 a year in 2025. Retirement credits are age-banded from 7% to 18% of coordinated salary, with the employer paying at least half. Accident insurance under the UVG is also mandatory. Finn records the costs in your ledger and accrues them. The exact BVG and UVG cost depends on your pension plan and insurer, so Finn defers to the provider.
- AHV/IV/EO 10.6% of gross salary, split 50/50, uncapped
- ALV 2.2% up to CHF 148,200, split 50/50
- BVG retirement credits 7% to 18% by age
Handelsregister and Zefix: Swiss company registry and annual accounts
Swiss companies register in the cantonal Handelsregister (commercial register), which you can search through Zefix. A GmbH (limited liability company) needs CHF 20,000 of fully paid-in capital, and an AG (stock corporation) needs CHF 100,000, of which at least CHF 50,000 or 20% must be paid in. Every business gets a UID, written CHE-xxx.xxx.xxx, which also forms the basis of the VAT number.
Annual accounts follow the Code of Obligations (OR). Finn closes each month, reconciles the books and prepares the year-end figures: trial balance, profit and loss and balance sheet. You review them, and your board or shareholders approve them as the law requires. Finn prepares the figures but does not file anything with the register or the tax authority for you. You submit through the cantonal channels.
- GmbH minimum capital CHF 20,000, fully paid in
- AG minimum capital CHF 100,000, with CHF 50,000 or 20% paid in
Einzelunternehmen: sole proprietors and small-business bookkeeping
A sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen) needs no minimum capital, has no separate legal personality and carries unlimited personal liability. Partnerships such as the Kollektivgesellschaft (general partnership) and Kommanditgesellschaft (limited partnership) also need no minimum capital. Many freelancers and consultants start this way and later move to a GmbH as the business grows and the liability risk becomes harder to accept.
Finn works for all of these forms. A sole proprietor still needs clean records of income, expenses and MWST if registered, plus a clear view of what is business and what is private. Finn separates them, tracks the VAT position and keeps the books ready for the cantonal tax return. For income tax, the federal layer tops out at 11.5%, but the cantonal and communal part is larger, so total marginal rates range from about 22% to over 40%. Confirm yours with a local fiduciary.
Switching from Bexio, Abacus or Banana Accounting: CSV migration, no lock-in
Most Swiss small businesses run on Bexio, Abacus or Banana Accounting. If you are moving, you do not need to re-enter anything. Export your chart of accounts, contacts, open invoices and transaction history as CSV from your current software and upload the files. Finn reads the columns, maps them to your ledger and flags anything that needs a decision, instead of making you match fields by hand.
There is no lock-in on the way out either. Your data stays yours and can be exported as CSV at any time, so you can hand it to your Treuhänder or another system whenever you want. Many founders keep their fiduciary for the cantonal return and advice while Finn does the day-to-day bookkeeping and keeps the records ready for review.