Five documents to organise before your monthly bookkeeping

A practical routine for small businesses in Zug, Zurich and Lucerne.

StartKonto · 13.10.2026

Start with a complete month

A folder full of receipts is a useful start. A complete picture also needs invoices, bank movements and an explanation of unusual transactions. Our suggested routine is to create one folder per month and agree a regular handover date with your accountant.

1. Bank and card statements

Collect statements for every business bank account and card, including payment platforms. Keep the opening and closing balances visible. Mark transfers between your own accounts so that they can be distinguished from customer payments.

2. Sales invoices and receipts

Keep issued invoices, credit notes and payment confirmations together. Maintain a list of unpaid invoices with their due dates. An issued invoice and the money received are different events: tracking both makes outstanding balances easier to follow.

3. Purchase invoices and expenses

Save the underlying invoice or receipt, not only the payment confirmation. Add a short note explaining the business purpose where it is not obvious. Flag mixed private and business spending for review.

4. Payroll and recurring commitments

Include salary records, insurance invoices, rent and financing documents relevant to the month. Tell your accountant about new contracts or changes rather than waiting until year-end.

5. A short list of open questions

List missing receipts, disputed invoices and unexplained payments. This lets the accountant resolve gaps before they become a year-end backlog. Swiss accounting duties depend on the legal form and business circumstances; supporting records remain important.

Your next step

Try this routine for one month. For a first enquiry, tell us your legal form, approximate number of transactions and canton. We can agree a suitable bookkeeping scope and document exchange process.