Preparing annual accounts and comparing quotations
Annual accounts bring together a financial year’s entries and the necessary closing work. The effort depends heavily on how far bookkeeping has progressed. Filed documents are not completed accounts. Describe the period, starting position and required outputs separately.
Which outputs do you need?
The balance sheet and income statement show different aspects: assets and financing at a date, and income and expenses over a period. Depending on the organisation and requirements, notes or additional reports may be needed. Tax returns, VAT and payroll reconciliations and independent audit are not automatically included. Specify outputs and responsibilities.
Specify the financial year and dates
Not every financial year ends on 31 December. Give the period and closing date, including earlier years needing work. Meeting, financing or tax deadlines affect the plan. A general preferred date does not replace an existing deadline. Confirm realistic handover and completion dates.
Describe bookkeeping progress accurately
Distinguish fully entered accounts, partly completed bookkeeping and a collection of documents. Checks, missing entries and queries can form a substantial part of fees. State the software and whether prior-year figures exist. You do not need every account balance or password in the initial request.
Useful records to prepare
Records depend on actual transactions. A service business without stock does not need an invented inventory list. Existing stock, assets or particular contracts need traceable evidence. Agree the complete dossier later with the appointed professional.
| Area | Useful basis |
|---|---|
| Bank / outstanding items | Closing-date statements and unpaid invoices |
| Stock / assets | Existing inventory and asset records |
| Contracts / periods | Timing and particular commitments |
| Payroll / VAT | Returns where relevant to the business |
Understand closing work
Accruals and prepayments allocate income and expenses to the appropriate period when payment and performance differ. Stock, asset values, outstanding receivables and justified provisions may also need review. Sole traders must separate business and private matters. Valuation and tax treatment depend on the records; general tax-saving promises do not help comparison.
Compare fees and included work
One tariff viewed in October 2026 lists CHF 160 per hour for accounts, checks and specialist work without membership. This is an individual example, not a fixed closing fee or Swiss average. A prepared dossier and unfinished bookkeeping require different work. Compare the entire appointment and confirm expenses and VAT treatment on fees.
| Cost item | Comparison point |
|---|---|
| Preparation | Missing entries and data transfer included? |
| Closing | Outputs, periods and necessary checks |
| Extras | Define tax, returns, reporting and audit |
| Queries | Agree revisions, discussion and deadline work |
Agree handover and the closing discussion
Specify who supplies records, answers questions and approves results. Agree secure channels and the return of final data and reports. The closing discussion should explain changes and outstanding points relevant to the business. If statutory audit is needed, agree responsibility and professional admission separately.
- Period. Give the financial year and closing date.
- Starting position. Describe bookkeeping progress, software and complications.
- Scope. Define closing work and required extras.
Frequently asked questions
Are annual accounts the same as an audit?
No. Preparation and independent examination are separate appointments. Statutory audit requirements must be established for the actual organisation.
Must the financial year end on 31 December?
Not necessarily. State the actual period and closing date. Providers should not infer your appointment from the calendar alone.
Are filed documents sufficient?
They help, but are not the same as fully maintained books. Missing entries, reconciliations and closing work must be reflected in the quote.
Is the tax return included?
Only if agreed. Compare closing, tax work and other returns expressly on the same basis.
Can several previous years be handled?
That can be included. State the periods, record status and known dates so catch-up work is not priced as a straightforward single-year close.
What information is enough for an initial quote?
Legal structure, period, bookkeeping progress and tasks form the basis. Software and complications also help. Agree complete financial records and credentials later through a secure process.
