Accounting fees in Zürich — fixed, published, no surprises

Monthly bookkeeping at Zürich Treuhand Hive starts at CHF 149 per month for the Starter package, covering up to 50 transactions. The SME package is CHF 249 per month for up to 200 transactions, including payroll for 5 employees. The Enterprise package with unlimited transactions is CHF 399 per month. All fees are fixed and agreed in advance — no hourly charges, no surprise invoices. For comparison, fiduciary firms in Canton Zürich typically bill CHF 200–350 per hour for similar work, which can easily exceed CHF 600 per month for the same volume. Our fixed-fee model gives you full cost visibility from day one.

All bookkeeping packages include accounts payable and receivable processing, monthly bank reconciliation, VAT-coded transaction records, and trial balance. Annual financial statements prepared to Swiss Code of Obligations (Art. 957 CO) standards are included in every tier — no year-end surcharge. The SME package (CHF 249/month) adds quarterly management accounts and payroll for up to 5 employees. The Enterprise package (CHF 399/month) adds multi-currency consolidation, dedicated review meetings, and priority response. Add-on services — corporate tax return, statutory audit, company formation — are quoted separately at fixed fees before engagement.

Yes. All bookkeeping packages are charged at fixed monthly fees, agreed in writing before the engagement starts. You pay the same amount every month regardless of how many questions you ask or how many calls you make. Add-on services such as the corporate tax return (from CHF 1,500/year), statutory audit (from CHF 3,000/year), and VAT registration (CHF 500) are also quoted at fixed fees. There are no hourly billing arrangements. This model is intentional — predictable fees make budgeting straightforward, which matters particularly for startups and foreign-owned entities managing cash flow in a new market.

The Starter package at CHF 149 per month suits new companies and small businesses generating up to 50 transactions per month. It includes accounts payable and receivable processing, monthly bank reconciliation, VAT return preparation in compliance with MWSTG requirements, basic financial reporting, and annual financial statements. Email support is included for routine questions. Payroll can be added at CHF 50 per employee per month. If your transaction volume grows above 50 per month consistently, we will recommend upgrading to the SME package. There are no overage charges without advance notification and written agreement.

Payroll is included in the SME package (CHF 249/month) for up to 5 employees. This covers monthly salary processing, payslip generation, withholding tax (Quellensteuer) calculations, AHV/ALV/UVG contribution filings, and annual salary certificates (Lohnausweis). For the Starter and Enterprise packages, payroll is available as an add-on at CHF 50 per employee per month. Payroll for more than 5 employees under the SME tier is also added at the same per-employee rate. All payroll work complies with Swiss social insurance ordinances (AHVG, UVG, ArG) and canton-specific Quellensteuer tables.

No. Routine communication — questions about your accounts, quick VAT checks, and short clarification calls — is included in the monthly fee. There are no per-email or per-call charges. This is one of the key differences from firms that bill at CHF 200–350 per hour for every interaction. We distinguish between routine queries (included) and scope-extending engagements such as preparing for a tax audit, restructuring advice, or responding to ESTV enquiries — those are quoted separately in advance. You will never receive an unexpected invoice for a question you sent by email.

Yes. You can upgrade to a higher plan at any time during the year — there is no lock-in period beyond the current month. We review transaction volumes quarterly. If your usage consistently exceeds the current tier threshold, we will recommend upgrading and give you 30 days notice before any change takes effect. Downgrading is also possible, subject to confirming that your transaction volume genuinely warrants the lower tier. Plan changes are confirmed in writing. There are no penalties or fees for switching tiers. Our goal is to match your plan to your actual activity, not to lock you into a tier you have outgrown.

If your transaction volume regularly exceeds the plan threshold — for example, more than 50 per month on the Starter plan — we will contact you to discuss upgrading to the SME tier. You will not be charged automatic overages. The first month above the threshold is typically absorbed while we review the pattern together. If it is a one-off peak (year-end, seasonal spike), no plan change is needed. Only if the higher volume is recurring will we formally recommend upgrading. Any change is agreed in writing before it takes effect. We track volumes monthly and proactively flag trends.

Corporate income tax return preparation starts at CHF 1,500 per year for a standard Swiss GmbH or AG. This covers federal (DBG), cantonal, and communal tax declarations, capital tax computation, and liaison with the Zürich cantonal tax authority (Kantonales Steueramt Zürich). More complex returns — holding companies, real estate, multi-jurisdiction — are quoted individually. The fee includes one round of clarification with the tax authority if requested. For companies on a bookkeeping package, the annual accounts are already prepared in the correct format, which reduces preparation time and keeps the tax return fee towards the lower end of the range.

A limited statutory examination (eingeschränkte Revision) — required for Swiss companies with turnover above CHF 500,000 or those that opt in — starts at CHF 3,000 per year. This satisfies the audit requirement under Art. 727a Swiss Code of Obligations for companies not subject to ordinary audit. An ordinary audit (ordentliche Revision) — required for public companies, large entities, or groups — starts at CHF 15,000 per year. Both are conducted by our RAB-registered auditors. The final fee depends on company size, number of entities, and complexity of the balance sheet. We provide a fixed-fee quote before engagement.

All published fees exclude Swiss VAT. VAT is added to invoices at the applicable standard rate, currently 8.1% (as of 2026 per MWSTG). For example, the Starter package at CHF 149 per month is CHF 161.05 including VAT. The SME package at CHF 249 per month is CHF 269.14 including VAT. If your company is VAT-registered, the input tax on our invoices is fully reclaimable on your quarterly or semi-annual VAT return, which effectively reduces the net cost. If you are not yet VAT-registered, we can advise on whether voluntary registration makes sense for your situation.

Yes. A significant share of our clients are Swiss GmbH and AG companies owned by non-residents — founders based in Germany, the UK, the US, the UAE, and other jurisdictions. We offer all services in English, which is uncommon among traditional Zürich fiduciary firms. We handle the Swiss-specific compliance requirements that foreign owners frequently encounter: mandatory VAT registration thresholds, Swiss withholding tax (Verrechnungssteuer), Quellensteuer on employees without C-permit, annual reporting to the commercial register, and Director or Board presence requirements. All documentation and correspondence is available in English on request.