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Retention of accounting records in Switzerland: periods

Retention periods by type of document, the starting point of the period, valid storage media and destruction rules: the practical guide for SMEs, farms…

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Introduction: a missing 2016 document, CHF 14'000 to pay

A craftsman in the Sarine district is audited by the Cantonal Tax Service. The authority challenges vehicle maintenance expenses booked in 2016, totalling CHF 52'000. The invoices were thrown away after seven years. Without supporting documents, the expenses are added back to income. With a combined marginal rate of around 27%, the back tax reaches nearly CHF 14'000, plus late-payment interest.
The case is common. An association in the Gruyère that destroyed its sponsorship supporting documents before the deadline faces the same obstacle during a VAT audit: without documents, the input tax deduction is lost.
This guide sets out, for each type of document, the period in years, the starting point of the period and the legal basis. It also distinguishes the retention obligation from the tax limitation period, because this distinction determines the destruction date.

1. Identifying what the law requires you to keep

Art. 958f CO (Code of Obligations) requires the accounting books, accounting vouchers, the management report and the audit report to be kept for 10 years. This rule applies to any entity required to keep commercial accounts: SA (public limited company), Sàrl (limited liability company), sole proprietorships entered in the commercial register, and associations and foundations subject to this obligation.
A Fribourg association whose sponsorship income exceeds CHF 150'000 must register for VAT, even without a profit motive: its returns and supporting documents are therefore kept for 10 years, like those of an SA.
A farm required to keep commercial accounts follows the same rule. A farm that keeps simplified accounts must nevertheless keep its documents for as long as the Cantonal Tax Service may request them, as shown in section 6.
These documents include in particular:
  • supplier and customer invoices, expense reports, bank statements
  • the general ledger, the journal, the balance sheet and the income statement
  • the management report and, where applicable, the report of the auditors
  • business correspondence with an accounting impact

2. Calculating the starting point of the period

A carpenter in the Gruyère receives an invoice for materials on 12 March 2016. His financial year ends on 31 December 2016. The 10-year period does not run from 12 March: it begins at the end of the financial year, i.e. on 31 December 2016, and ends on 31 December 2026.
Under Art. 958f CO, the 10-year period runs from the end of the financial year in which the document was booked. The date of the document does not determine the expiry date.
For a non-calendar financial year, for example one ending on 30 June, the reasoning is identical: the period starts on 30 June of the financial year concerned. Filing by financial year, rather than by calendar year, avoids any calculation error when sorting.
Back tax (combined marginal rate of around 27%)
Amountapprox. CHF 14'000
Shareapprox. 27%
Balance of the add-back: non-deductible expenses (no direct tax effect at this rate)
Amountapprox. CHF 38'000
Shareapprox. 73%
Total
AmountCHF 52'000 of vehicle maintenance expenses (2016 financial year) added back to income
Share100%
A missing 2016 document turns CHF 52'000 of expenses into back tax of nearly CHF 14'000

Key takeaway

Without supporting documents, CHF 52'000 of maintenance expenses are added back to income: at a marginal rate of around 27%, the back tax reaches nearly CHF 14'000, plus late-payment interest.
Source: Art. 958f CO — fedlex.admin.ch; case of the Sarine craftsman (audit by the Cantonal Tax Service)

3. Applying the special retention periods

Not all documents follow the general period. An SME in Fribourg that builds a workshop must keep certain supporting documents well beyond 10 years.
The usual periods are as follows:
  • books, accounting vouchers, management report and audit report: 10 years from the end of the financial year (Art. 958f CO)
  • VAT-related documents, including each VAT return and the input tax supporting documents: 10 years (Art. 70 LTVA, the VAT Act)
  • documents relating to a property used on a lasting basis (purchase, construction, renovation) for which a correction of input tax remains possible: 20 years (Art. 70, para. 3, LTVA)
  • payroll statements, certificates and AVS (old-age and survivors' insurance) documents: generally 10 years, with prudence requiring reference to the directives of the compensation fund
  • customs documents: in principle 10 years for supporting documents linked to the import of goods (LTVA and customs legislation)
Under Art. 70 LTVA, documents relating to real estate are kept for 20 years, because the input tax deducted on a property may be corrected throughout the period of use. This rule also applies to VAT-registered farms that build a barn or a cowshed.
Documents concerned
Books, accounting vouchers, reportsAccounting books, accounting vouchers, management report and audit report
VAT documentsVAT returns and input tax supporting documents
Property-related documentsPurchase, construction, renovation of a property used on a lasting basis (correction of input tax possible)
Payroll and AVSPayroll statements, certificates and AVS documents
Customs documentsSupporting documents linked to the import of goods
Retention period
Books, accounting vouchers, reports10 years
VAT documents10 years
Property-related documents20 years
Payroll and AVSGenerally 10 years
Customs documentsIn principle 10 years
Legal basis
Books, accounting vouchers, reportsArt. 958f CO
VAT documentsArt. 70 LTVA
Property-related documentsArt. 70, para. 3, LTVA
Payroll and AVSDirectives of the compensation fund
Customs documentsLTVA and customs legislation
Starting point
Books, accounting vouchers, reportsEnd of the financial year of booking
VAT documentsEnd of the financial year of booking
Property-related documentsEnd of the financial year of booking
Payroll and AVSAccording to the directives of the compensation fund
Customs documentsAccording to customs legislation
Ten years for most documents, twenty years for real estate: the retention period depends on the nature of the document

Key takeaway

The general rule is 10 years from the end of the financial year, but documents linked to a property used on a lasting basis must be kept for 20 years.
Source: Art. 958f CO; Art. 70 and Art. 70, para. 3, LTVA — fedlex.admin.ch. Example: invoice of 12 March 2016, financial year ended 31 December 2016, expiry on 31 December 2026.

4. Choosing a valid medium: paper or digital

A caterer in the Sarine district scans his invoices every Friday and destroys the paper originals. This practice is permitted if it complies with the Ordinance on the Keeping and Retention of Accounting Records (OLICO).
The OLICO sets four requirements for an electronic medium:
  • integrity: the document cannot be altered without the alteration being detectable
  • authenticity: the origin and date of the document can be demonstrated
  • availability: the document must be capable of being produced at any time throughout the retention period
  • legibility: the data remain legible and usable, including after a change of software
Logging of access and modifications is required to prove that the document has not been altered. A simple photo of a receipt taken with a phone, without timestamp or control, offers few guarantees.
Thermal receipts pose a particular problem: the print fades within a few years. Scanning must take place while the text is still legible, and the legibility check must be carried out immediately after capture.

5. Organising archiving in day-to-day practice

A foundation in Fribourg changes accountant in 2025. Its documents are filed by type of expense, without distinction of financial year. The end-of-period sort becomes impossible without reopening every file.
Three simple rules avoid this pitfall:
  • filing by financial year, then by category (purchases, sales, bank, payroll, VAT, real estate)
  • two copies of digital files, including one backup disconnected from the company network
  • documented access for the fiduciary firm, with a shared folder and limited read rights
An archive index should also be kept: a simple table showing the financial year, the location (paper or digital), the planned destruction date and a note of any ongoing procedure. This document takes an hour a year and prevents most evidence disputes.
For VAT documents, the link with the return remains essential: see our article on the 2025 VAT rate, SME obligations and the case of a Sàrl in Fribourg, which details the returns to be supported (https://www.fiduciaire-fribourgeoise.ch/taux-tva-suisse-2025-pme-obligations-cas-sarl-fribourg).

6. Destroying documents safely once the period has expired

The 10-year retention obligation (Art. 958f CO) and the tax limitation period are two distinct concepts. The first sets the minimum period of safekeeping. The second sets the period during which the authority may assess tax or claim back tax.
The right to assess is in principle time-barred 5 years after the end of the tax period (LHID, the Tax Harmonisation Act, and LIFD, the Federal Direct Tax Act). The right to initiate back-tax proceedings is time-barred 10 years from the end of the tax period concerned, with periods that may be extended in the event of tax criminal proceedings. In Fribourg, the communal coefficient varies from 60 to 100% of the basic cantonal tax: in the event of back tax, the Cantonal Tax Service may request documents from you well after the financial year concerned.
Practical consequence: a 2015 document may be destroyed in January 2026, once the 2015 financial year has been closed for more than 10 years, except in the following cases:
  • an assessment, back-tax or appeal procedure is open
  • the document concerns a property (20 years for VAT)
  • another contractual or legal deadline applies (warranty, civil dispute)
  • a request for rectification or a VAT procedure is pending
The recommended routine: each January, destroy the documents of the financial year closed more than 10 years ago, unless proceedings are open, and record the destruction in the archive index.

Pitfalls to avoid

The most costly errors recur from one file to another:
  • counting the period from the date of the document rather than from the close of the financial year: the expiry date is then underestimated by several months
  • destroying documents while back tax or a dispute is ongoing: the obligation to produce proof remains
  • photographing thermal receipts without a legibility check: a blurred image is not a valid supporting document
  • hosting the digital archive with a provider whose servers are located outside Switzerland without guaranteeing access at all times: the OLICO requires availability
  • overlooking the departure of a partner or the liquidation: the struck-off company must appoint a custodian of the books for 10 years (Art. 747 CO for the Sàrl, Art. 745 CO for the SA)
One last point: the 20-year period for real estate also applies to the craftsman who owns his workshop, even if the rest of his accounts may be destroyed after 10 years.

Conclusion: three steps to take this week

To bring the archive into compliance without a heavy project, three actions are enough:
1. Inventory the archive: list what exists, on paper and digitally, by financial year, and identify the property-related documents to be kept for 20 years. 2. Sort by financial year: identify any financial year closed for more than 10 years, check that no procedure is open, then schedule destruction for January. 3. Test retrieval: open three scanned documents at random, including an old receipt, and check that they are legible, timestamped and linked to the correct financial year.
If the inventory reveals gaps, a review of the archive with your fiduciary firm makes it possible to set a sorting schedule and document the internal procedure.
"This article, written for information purposes only, does not constitute personalised legal, tax or accounting advice; as retention periods may vary according to your situation and change with legislation, we recommend that you consult a specialist before making any decision."

FAQ

The general period is 10 years (Art. 958f CO) for the books, accounting vouchers, management report and audit report. It runs from the end of the financial year concerned, not from the date of the document.

Have your accounting archive audited

We inventory your documents by financial year, set the applicable periods (10 years, 20 years) and plan safe destruction. Sarine, Gruyère and the canton of Fribourg.

Portrait of Élodie Rochat, author at Fiduciaire Fribourg
Élodie Rochat

30 October 2026

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