Chartered accountant or fiduciary in Geneva: which to choose?

An accounting service provider's engagement generally covers five blocks: incorporation of the company, bookkeeping, the VAT return, payroll and the tax return. Not all providers offer all of them. Check the list before signing.

For the incorporation of an SA (public limited company) or a Sàrl (limited liability company), the service includes drafting the articles of association, coordinating with the notary, opening the capital deposit account and filing with the Geneva commercial register. Bookkeeping covers data entry, the annual closing and the financial statements in accordance with Art. 957 et seq. of the Code of Obligations (CO).

The VAT return falls under the LTVA (RS 641.20). It is prepared every quarter under the effective method, or every six months under the net tax rate method, subject to authorisation by the Federal Tax Administration (FTA). Payroll includes AVS, unemployment insurance, LPP and accident insurance contributions. Finally, the tax return is filed with the Geneva cantonal tax administration.

Online accounting services cover data entry and the standard VAT return well. They do not advise on capital structure, the split between salary and dividend, or the choice of VAT method. This advice is the added value of a human engagement, and it is what should be priced separately.

In Switzerland, the title of certified chartered accountant is protected and awarded after a higher federal examination. The title of certified tax expert is subject to the same regime. The term "fiduciaire", by contrast, is not protected at federal level: anyone may use it as a trade name. The list of diploma holders is available on EXPERT.suisse.

This asymmetry changes the comparison. A fiduciary may employ certified experts, accountants holding a federal certificate or staff with no particular qualification. The name of the firm says nothing about the level of qualification. You need to ask, name by name, for the person in charge of your file.

Auditing is governed by a separate regime. Under the Federal Act on the Admission and Oversight of Auditors (LSR, RS 221.302), the Federal Audit Oversight Authority (FAOA) licenses auditors. A limited audit may be entrusted to a licensed auditor. An ordinary audit requires a licensed audit expert, and a licensed audit expert under FAOA supervision for public-interest entities. The register of licensed individuals and firms can be consulted on the FAOA website.

Three preliminary checks are essential:

• The title of the person in charge of the file on EXPERT.suisse.

• The provider's FAOA licence if an audit is envisaged.

• Professional liability insurance and its coverage ceiling.

A flat-fee engagement sets a monthly price for a defined scope. An hourly rate bills the time actually spent. The former offers budget visibility; the latter suits one-off assignments such as an incorporation or a restructuring.

The ranges below are indicative, observed on the Geneva market, and to be confirmed by quotation. They do not constitute a reference tariff:

• Sàrl with no employees, bookkeeping and VAT return: CHF 200 to 500 per month, i.e. CHF 2,400 to 6,000 per year.

• Sàrl with 1 to 5 employees, payroll included: CHF 500 to 1,200 per month.

• SA with day-to-day operations and annual closing: CHF 800 to 2,000 per month, depending on the volume of entries.

• Hourly rate of an accounting staff member: CHF 100 to 160. Hourly rate of a certified expert: CHF 180 to 280.

• Incorporation of a Sàrl or an SA, advisory fees excluding notary and commercial register: CHF 800 to 2,500.

Under federal law (Art. 773 and 621 CO), the minimum capital is CHF 20,000 for a Sàrl and CHF 100,000 for an SA, of which at least CHF 50,000 must be paid in. Notary fees and commercial register fees are additional and depend on the capital. Ask for a quotation that itemises them line by line.

A monthly flat fee must specify what is excluded: annual closing, tax return, VAT reminders, corrections. These items are often billed in addition.

Source: Indicative ranges of the Geneva market, to be confirmed by quotation. Minimum capital: Art. 773 and 621 CO — fedlex.admin.ch

Art. 727 CO imposes an ordinary audit on listed companies and on those exceeding two of the following three thresholds in two consecutive financial years: CHF 20 million balance sheet total, CHF 40 million turnover, 250 full-time equivalent positions on annual average. It also applies to companies required to prepare consolidated accounts.

Other companies are subject to a limited audit, unless they opt out. Art. 727a CO allows a company to waive any audit if it has no more than ten full-time equivalent positions on annual average and if all shareholders or members consent. The waiver is entered in the commercial register. A shareholder representing 10% of the capital may nevertheless demand a limited audit.

For a small first company, opting out is the usual case, and it reduces the annual bill by roughly CHF 1,500 to 4,000 for a limited audit avoided. It is less justified in the presence of investors, demanding lenders or a sale envisaged in the short term: a buyer values audited accounts.

The provider who keeps your books cannot, in principle, audit those same accounts: the auditor's independence prohibits it (Art. 728 and 729 CO). Plan for two separate parties as soon as the audit is not waived.

Incorporation follows a fixed sequence. The founder pays the capital into a deposit account, the notary draws up the authentic deed, then the filing is made with the Geneva commercial register. Allow for CHF 20,000 of paid-in capital for a Sàrl, and two weeks between the notary and registration in the commercial register, provided the file is complete.

VAT liability is mandatory from CHF 100,000 of annual turnover achieved in Switzerland (Art. 10 LTVA). The threshold is not calculated on 31 December: it is projected from the first month. A company expecting to exceed this amount registers with the FTA from the start of its activity, which allows it to recover input tax on initial investments.

The deadlines to note for a Geneva company: VAT return within 60 days of the end of each period, annual tax return with the cantonal tax administration, assessment of profit tax and capital tax in Geneva, according to the cantonal scale in force for the financial year. Check the deadlines on ge.ch/impots, as they are set each year.

Physical proximity matters at the time of incorporation: signing at the notary's office, handing over supporting documents, opening a bank account. Thereafter, a provider reachable electronically is sufficient for day-to-day follow-up.

The table below compares three types of provider on the criteria discussed. The ranges are indicative, observed in 2026, and to be confirmed by quotation.

The reading is straightforward. Software suits a simple structure whose founder masters the accounting basics. The general fiduciary covers the day-to-day needs of an SME at a controlled cost. The certified expert firm is justified as soon as structure, taxation or audit matter.

Sole proprietor converting to a Sàrl: choose a general fiduciary employing a certified tax expert. Moving into a company raises the question of salary, dividend and the contribution of assets, questions that commit several years of social charges. First step: request an incorporation quotation detailing the advice on remuneration. To go further in comparing providers, see our checklist on how to choose a fiduciary in Switzerland.

Founder of an SA with investors: retain a certified chartered accountant firm. Shareholders' agreement, valuation, financial statements presentable to third parties: the level of qualification becomes a criterion of credibility. First step: check the title of the person in charge of the file on EXPERT.suisse and the FAOA licence if an audit is planned.

Micro-structure below the CHF 100,000 VAT threshold: online accounting software, supplemented by an initial hour of advice billed at the hourly rate, is generally sufficient. First step: project turnover for the first twelve months to know whether VAT liability will arise.

Growing SME with its first employees: favour a flat-fee engagement including payroll and social insurance. Hiring the first employee multiplies reporting obligations. First step: compare two flat-fee engagement quotations, checking the exact scope. To understand the cantonal issues, see our analysis of Swiss taxation in Geneva and Vaud, and the quantified case of a tax and strategy consultancy firm in Geneva.

Before contacting a provider, establish three data points: the planned capital, the projected turnover over twelve months and the number of employees envisaged. They determine the relevant type of provider. Then request two written quotations detailing scope, exclusions and incorporation fees. Finally, check the title of the person in charge of the file on EXPERT.suisse before signing anything.