Time to take stock and present your accounts? For companies with double-entry accounting  Which companies have to submit annual financial statements and in what form? The obligation to keep and present accounts is regulated by the Swiss Code of Obligations (Art. 957 para. 2 CO). the time comes once a year to close the fiscal year in accounting terms with the balance sheet, income statement and annex to the financial statement, providing a true and accurate view of the economic situation and the success of the business. In most cases, this comes at the end of the year, unless the fiscal year does not run from the beginning of January to the end of December.

The SME checklist for the annual financial statement

Our “Annual financial statements” checklist supports SMEs in their preparations. It can be expanded to include other activities depending on the company's situation. You or your fiduciary will need the following lists, statements or information:

Liquid assets

• Cash holdings or signed cash book
• statements Swiss Post and bank accounts as per the balance sheet date

Receivables

• All open customer balances relating to the financial year
• Other balances
• Prepayments to suppliers
• Reimbursement from suppliers or insurance companies
• Other balances (deposits, bonuses, etc.)

Prepaid expenses

• Prepaid expenses in the old fiscal year that relate to the new fiscal year –
  e.g. rent, insurance
• Income not yet received relating to the former fiscal year

Inventories

• Inventory: all existing inventories on the balance sheet date
• Semi-finished and finished goods, material values and working hours
• Work started, material values and working hours

Short-term debt capital

Accounts payable: list of all unpaid supplier invoices  relating to the previous fiscal year.

Deferred charges

• Invoices that are still outstanding from the previous fiscal year that are not expected until the new fiscal year (e.g. supplier invoices, telephone bills, AHV back payments, etc.).
• Income received too early that already relates to the next fiscal year

Long-term debt capital

• Loans: stock and interest statements
• Mortgages: statements, interest statements

Various information

• AHV final statements
• UVG final statements
• OPA final statements
• Salary statements
• VAT statements

Information on the annex to the financial statement (for legal entities)

• Information in the annex to the financial statement – guarantees, guarantee obligations
• Restrictions on ownership of assets such as e.g.  debtor assignment, pledged securities custody account, borrower's notes on real estate
• Open leasing liabilities
• Fire insurance values of property, plant and equipment
• Shareholdings
• Obligations issued
• Obligations to pension funds
• Information on treasury shares held by the company