Frequently asked questions from Swiss SMEs

Yes. You pay nothing and need no account. Comparing, filtering and using the recommendation work without signing up.

Some providers pay us a commission if you sign up for a subscription via our link. The price does not change for you. You can find all the details on our transparency page.

By our score: it shows how many of the important criteria for a type of software a solution meets, for example VAT, QR-bill or Swissdec. Commissions play no part. You can also sort by price or rating.

Yes. We list all relevant solutions for Swiss SMEs, even if we do not work with the provider.

We checked the prices and features of all providers on their websites on 26.10.2026. For each provider we state which pages we used. Anything the provider does not state there appears as «Ask the provider». We check the information regularly and have it confirmed by the providers.

Yes, but not always double-entry. Companies limited by shares (AG), limited liability companies (GmbH) and other legal entities must always keep double-entry accounts. Sole proprietorships and partnerships with less than CHF 500,000 turnover in the last financial year may keep simple accounts of income, expenses and assets (Art. 957 CO).

10 years, counted from the end of the financial year (Art. 958f CO). Receipts may be kept electronically as long as they remain readable at any time. Many accounting programs offer an archive for this.

As soon as your annual turnover is CHF 100,000 or more (Art. 10 VAT Act). Worldwide turnover from taxable supplies counts. Below that, you can register voluntarily. If you are liable for VAT, your software should create the VAT return directly.

Cloud solutions usually cost a monthly subscription that depends on the features you choose. Watch out for extra costs: payroll module, bank connection, additional users or access for your accountant. You can see current prices in our comparison above.

Since October 2022, the QR-bill has been the standard payment slip in Switzerland. Accounting software for Swiss SMEs should therefore be able to create it. eBill is optional but worthwhile if you have many private customers. More than 4 million people use eBill.

Not by law. But only certified software lets you report salaries electronically to the AHV compensation office, Suva or your accident insurer, tax offices and the Federal Statistical Office. That saves a lot of time. Since July 2026, at least the ELM 5.0 standard is required.

The usual social insurances: AHV/IV/EO (old-age, disability and income compensation), unemployment insurance (ALV), pension fund (BVG), non-occupational accident insurance (NBU) and, depending on the contract, daily sickness allowance. Withholding tax is added where needed. Good software applies the new rates automatically every year.

Yes, it is a basic feature of every Swiss payroll software. The salary certificate (Form 11) is created at the end of the year from the recorded salaries and can be sent directly to the tax authorities via ELM.

It can pay off from the very first employee, because otherwise deductions, salary certificates and annual reports have to be done by hand. For very small companies, a payroll module in the accounting software is often enough.

ELM stands for the Swiss «uniform wage reporting procedure». It lets you send payroll data to all offices at once with a few clicks, instead of to each one separately. According to Suva, around 200 recipients are connected.

No, there is no general obligation as in Germany or Austria. However, cash income must be recorded without gaps. If you handle a lot of cash, a cash book is required for tax purposes, and records must be kept for 10 years. A POS system does this automatically.

Modern tills usually run on a subscription (app on a tablet or POS hardware). You pay monthly, but updates and support are included. With traditional tills you pay more once, but have to budget for maintenance and updates separately.

You usually pay a fee per transaction, often a percentage of the amount. Depending on the provider, there may also be costs for the terminal or a monthly fee. Compare the fees with your expected turnover: with many payments, small differences add up.

It depends on the system. Good tills store sales offline and sync them later. This matters for restaurants, market stalls or places with poor reception. Use the «Works offline» filter above.

With most modern tills, yes, via an interface or an export. Daily sales then go straight into your accounting and you save retyping. Before buying, check whether your accounting software is supported.

Yes. Employers must record their employees' working time and be able to show it to the authorities (Art. 46 Labour Act). This also applies to small companies. There are exceptions, see below.

Start, end and duration of daily and weekly working time including overtime, as well as breaks of half an hour or more (Art. 73 ArGV 1). The law does not prescribe a specific format, but an app makes it easier and harder to manipulate.

Yes, two. Simplified recording: anyone who sets at least 25% of their working hours themselves only records daily working time. In companies with fewer than 50 employees, a written agreement with the person is enough (Art. 73b ArGV 1). Waiving recording entirely is only possible with an annual salary of at least CHF 120,000, a high degree of freedom over working hours and a suitable collective labour agreement (Art. 73a ArGV 1).

At least 5 years after they cease to be valid. The authorities may inspect them. With software, the data is stored securely and easy to find.

Most solutions do: holiday requests, sick leave, public holidays and holiday balances. Many can also pass hours to payroll software. Use the filters above to find suitable solutions.

A CRM (customer relationship management) is a central customer database with contacts, quotes, emails and tasks. It pays off as soon as several people work with the same customers or you lose track of inquiries and quotes.

Yes, if the data is adequately protected there. According to the Federal Council, this applies for example to EU and EEA countries and to US companies certified under the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. Otherwise additional contracts are required. Keeping data in Switzerland is the simplest option. Always sign a data processing agreement with the provider.

Marketing emails generally require the recipient's consent. Exception: existing customers whose address you received when they bought from you, for similar products. Every email needs an easy way to unsubscribe (Art. 3 para. 1 let. o UCA).

Most CRMs are billed per user per month. Some have a free entry plan for small teams. Work out how many people need access, and check which features are only included in more expensive plans.

Usually yes. Email integration automatically saves messages to the right customer. A link to accounting saves you entering addresses and invoices twice. Some Swiss business software already combines CRM and accounting in one program.

Accounting software covers finances and invoices. An ERP also connects orders, purchasing, inventory and often payroll in one system. This is especially worthwhile if you sell goods or have several departments.

Business ledgers and accounting vouchers for 10 years, counted from the end of the financial year (Art. 958f CO). Electronic storage is allowed if the data can be made readable at any time. When switching systems, clarify how you will still be able to read old data.

In principle from CHF 100,000 of annual turnover from supplies in Switzerland and abroad (Art. 10 VAT Act). Below that you are exempt, but can register voluntarily. General information only: for your case, ask the FTA or your accountant.

Prices in CHF, common payment methods such as card and TWINT, a link to your accounting, and where customer data is stored. In the comparison you will find these points as criteria.

Since 1 September 2023, the fully revised Data Protection Act has applied in Switzerland. With appointment bookings, you pass names, contact details and often the reason for the appointment to a provider. Find out where it stores the data and mention it in your privacy policy. For practices handling health data, a solution with data in Switzerland is worthwhile.

Email reminders are included with many providers, SMS may cost extra. You can see which solution offers what in the comparison under «Automatic reminders».