Year-End Bookkeeping Checklist for Swiss Small Businesses
Closing your books at year end in Switzerland involves cantonal deadlines, MWST reconciliation, and AHV contribution reviews. Here's what to check.
Year-end bookkeeping in Switzerland combines federal and cantonal requirements, MWST reconciliation, and the AHV/IV/EO contribution review. If you’ve maintained clean records throughout the year, December and January should be a structured review rather than a scramble.
November: Preparation
Review outstanding invoices. As a sole trader using a simple income-and-expense record, income is recognized when received. Unpaid invoices at year end don’t appear in this year’s income. However, any invoices due before December 31st that haven’t been paid are worth following up.
Check your turnover against thresholds. Did you approach the CHF 100,000 MWST registration threshold? Did you approach the CHF 500,000 turnover threshold requiring double-entry bookkeeping? December is the time to plan for structural changes with your Treuhänder.
Check for missing Belege. Go through your bank statements and identify any expense transactions without a supporting receipt. Request duplicates now.
December: Final Processing
Process all December invoices and receipts. Get everything uploaded and categorized before January 1st.
Complete your bank reconciliation for December. Every transaction should have a matching document. Unmatched items require investigation.
Check your MWST position. If you’re MWST-registered, confirm that your quarterly returns for the year accurately reflect the MWST you collected and paid. Any discrepancy needs to be addressed in the final quarterly return or the annual reconciliation.
AHV contributions. Your AHV advance contributions during the year are based on estimated income. Once your actual income is confirmed, the SVA Ausgleichskasse will calculate the final amount and issue a supplementary bill or credit. Discuss with your Treuhänder what adjustment to expect.
January: Handoff
Export your annual records. A structured export of all income and expense records, organized by category with source documents linked, is the core deliverable for your Treuhänder.
Prepare an income and expense summary. If you use a simple income-and-expense record rather than full bookkeeping, your Treuhänder needs income and expense totals by category for the cantonal and federal tax returns.
Note any unusual items. Significant equipment purchases, foreign currency transactions, car usage, or home office claims all need brief documentation for your Treuhänder.
Confirm filing deadlines. Swiss tax return deadlines vary by canton. Most cantons set a March 31st initial deadline, with extensions available on request (typically to late summer or autumn). Your Treuhänder will know the local deadline and can request an extension if needed.
How KontoMatch Helps
If you’ve used KontoMatch throughout the year, your income and expense records are current, your bank statements are reconciled, and your source documents are stored and timestamped. A full-year structured export for your Treuhänder is generated in a single step, covering all the data they need for your cantonal and federal tax returns.