The Swiss Chart of Accounts for Freelancers: A Complete Guide

This guide walks you through the Kontenrahmen KMU — the standard Swiss chart of accounts — and shows you exactly which accounts matter for your freelance business. Whether you use simplified bookkeeping or full double-entry, structuring your finances correctly from day one saves you hours at tax time.

Related guides: Expense deductions guide | Profit & loss accounts | VAT for freelancers | Bookkeeping basics

What Is a Chart of Accounts?

In Swiss accounting, two terms come up constantly: the Kontenrahmen (chart of accounts framework) and the Kontenplan (your personal chart of accounts). They are not the same thing.

The Kontenrahmen KMU is the standardised Swiss reference framework — a master catalogue of all possible accounts a business could use, published by veb.ch (formerly Verband Schweizerischer Buchhaltungs- und Rechnungsexperten). It was first introduced in 1947 by Prof. Karl Käfer and has been updated several times, most recently in 2023 to reflect the share capital reform (Aktienrechtsreform) that took effect on 1 January 2023.

Your Kontenplan is your personal selection from that framework — only the accounts that are relevant to your business. A freelance graphic designer does not need the same accounts as a restaurant. You pick what you need, but you must respect the numbering structure.

In French-speaking Switzerland this framework is called the Plan comptable PME, and in Italian-speaking Switzerland the Piano dei conti PMI. They are structurally identical.

Important nuance: Even if you are below CHF 500,000, you still need to declare your business income on your personal tax return. The tax authorities expect to see a clear, categorised income statement. Using the Kontenrahmen KMU structure — even in a simple spreadsheet — makes your tax return dramatically easier to prepare and defend.

There is no legal obligation to use the Kontenrahmen KMU specifically. However, it is the de facto standard in Switzerland. Tax authorities, fiduciaries, and accounting software all expect this structure. Using it from day one saves you pain later.

The Freelancer's Practical Chart of Accounts

Below is a ready-to-use chart of accounts tailored for a typical Swiss freelancer (IT consultant, designer, translator, photographer, coach, etc.) operating as a sole proprietorship. Accounts marked with ★ are the ones most freelancers will use regularly.

Class 1 — Assets

Class 2 — Liabilities & Equity

Key point for sole proprietors: Your personal income tax and AHV contributions are not business expenses. They go through the private account (2850), not through the income statement. This is a common mistake.

Class 3 — Revenue

If you sell both products and services, add account 3000 (Handelsertrag / Product Sales) to separate them.

Class 4 — Cost of Goods & Third-Party Services

Most pure-service freelancers barely use Class 4. It becomes relevant when you regularly outsource work or buy materials for client projects.

Class 5 — Personnel Expenses

Remember: As a sole proprietor, you do NOT pay yourself a salary. Your income is the business profit. Your personal AHV/IV/EO contributions are declared in your personal tax return, not as a business expense.

Class 6 — Other Operating Expenses

This is where most freelancer expenses live. Here is the detailed breakdown:

Classes 7 & 8 — Side Income & Extraordinary Items

Depreciation: What You Need to Know

When you buy an asset that will be used over several years (laptop, camera, furniture, vehicle), you cannot deduct the full cost in the year of purchase. Instead, you spread the cost over the asset's useful life through annual depreciation.

The Swiss Federal Tax Administration (ESTV/AFC) publishes maximum depreciation rates in its "Merkblatt A 1995." These are the maximum rates using the declining balance method (applied to the current book value, not the original purchase price). For straight-line depreciation, halve these rates.

Practical Example — Declining Balance for a CHF 2,400 Laptop

Each year, the depreciation amount goes into account 6800 as an expense on your income statement.

Small asset rule: Many cantons allow assets under CHF 1,000–5,000 (varies by canton) to be fully expensed in the year of purchase rather than capitalised and depreciated. Check your canton's rules — this can simplify your bookkeeping significantly.

Method consistency: Once you choose between declining balance and straight-line for an asset category, stick with that method consistently. The tax authorities may question a switch if it appears motivated solely by tax optimisation.

The Home Office Deduction

You can deduct a proportional share of your housing costs if you use a room (or a clearly defined area) exclusively for your business activity and you do not have a separate office.

How to calculate it: Take the area of your workspace, divide it by the total apartment area, and apply that percentage to your rent and utilities.

Example: Your apartment is 80 m². Your office room is 10 m². The business share is 10 ÷ 80 = 12.5%. If your rent is CHF 2,000/month, your monthly office deduction is CHF 250, or CHF 3,000/year.

The same percentage applies to ancillary costs (electricity, heating, internet). For internet and phone, many freelancers use a 50% business allocation unless they can demonstrate a higher share with records.

What the tax authorities look for: The space must be genuinely used for work, not a guest bedroom with a laptop on the nightstand. If you have a co-working membership or external office, claiming a home office deduction on top of that will raise questions.

Cash vs. Accrual Accounting

This choice affects when you record income and expenses.

Cash basis (Ist-Methode): You record revenue when payment arrives in your account, and expenses when you actually pay them. This is simpler and is the default for most freelancers.

Accrual basis (Soll-Methode): You record revenue when you issue the invoice (regardless of payment) and expenses when you receive the supplier's bill (regardless of when you pay). This gives a more accurate picture, especially with long payment cycles.

Recommendation: If you are just starting out, use cash accounting. It is simpler, requires less bookkeeping, and is perfectly acceptable for simplified bookkeeping. Switch to accrual when your activity involves significant receivables, payables, or prepaid items.

Consistency matters: Whichever method you choose, apply it consistently. Switching between methods mid-year or between years without justification will attract scrutiny from the tax authorities.

VAT Considerations

If your annual turnover exceeds CHF 100,000, you must register for VAT within 30 days. This adds complexity to your chart of accounts.

Additional Accounts You Will Need

• 1170: Input VAT on materials & third-party services (Class 4 expenses)
• 1171: Input VAT on investments & other operating expenses (Class 1/5-8)
• 1175: VAT settlement account
• 2200: VAT payable (output VAT)

Two VAT Methods for Freelancers

The effective method requires you to track actual input VAT on every purchase and offset it against the output VAT you charge clients. More bookkeeping, but better if you have high expenses relative to revenue.

The net rate method (Saldosteuersatzmethode) simplifies everything: you pay a fixed percentage of your gross revenue to the tax authorities and do not claim back any input VAT. The applicable rate depends on your sector (typically 0.6%–6.5% for services). Much simpler and often preferable for freelancers with low material costs.

Strategic note: Some freelancers approaching CHF 100,000 voluntarily register for VAT to reclaim input tax on large equipment purchases. This can make sense if you are planning significant investments.

Record Retention: 10 Years

Swiss law requires you to keep all business records for 10 years. This includes invoices (issued and received), bank statements, contracts, expense receipts, and your annual accounts.

The thermal receipt problem: Receipts printed on thermal paper (most retail receipts) fade within 6–12 months. Scan or photograph them immediately. A faded receipt is as good as no receipt during an audit.

Digital storage is fully accepted as long as documents remain readable, complete, and retrievable. The ESTV emphasises Prüfspur (audit trail) — the ability to trace any entry in your accounts back to the original document.

Non-Deductible Expenses: What You Cannot Claim

Not everything is a business expense. The following are explicitly not deductible for Swiss sole proprietors:

• Personal income tax (federal, cantonal, communal) — a personal expense, not a business cost
• AHV/IV/EO contributions — deducted on your personal tax return, not in business accounts
• Fines and penalties — including parking tickets and late payment penalties
• Personal living expenses — groceries, personal clothing, entertainment
• Clearly personal travel — holidays, even if you "also did some networking"
• Excessive expenses — e.g., a CHF 5,000 business dinner for two
• Capital losses on personal investments — neither deductible nor taxable
• Pillar 3a contributions — deducted on your personal return, not in the business income statement

The key principle from Article 27 of the Federal Tax Act (DBG): an expense is deductible if you can establish a clear link between the expense and your professional activity, and the expense is commercially justified.

This guide is for informational purposes and reflects the general rules applicable to Swiss sole proprietors as of 2025–2026. Cantonal rules may differ on specific deduction amounts, depreciation methods, and filing requirements. For advice tailored to your situation, consult a qualified Swiss fiduciary or tax advisor.

Legal references: Swiss Code of Obligations Art. 957–958f (bookkeeping obligations), Federal Tax Act (DBG) Art. 27–28 (deductible business expenses), ESTV Merkblatt A/1995 (depreciation rates).