The VAT return looks more complicated than it is. Once you understand the form, you fill it in within half an hour. The expensive mistakes almost never happen in the arithmetic – but with deadlines and the year-end reconciliation.
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First the books, then the form
The VAT return is not a standalone work but an extract from your books. Filling it in before the period is cleanly booked produces corrections. So before the form, the following must be done:
- All outgoing invoices of the period captured.
- All supplier documents booked – every missing document is input tax given away.
- Bank movements reconciled so nothing is booked twice or not at all.
- Cash book kept and reconciled if you take cash.
The form in four blocks
The FTA return looks cluttered at first glance but follows a clear logic. These are the items you need in practice:
Block I – revenue
| Item | Contents |
|---|---|
| 200 | Total of agreed or received consideration |
| 220 | Exempt supplies, such as exports |
| 221 | Supplies abroad |
| 230 | Non-taxable supplies |
| 235 | Reductions of consideration: cash discounts, rebates, bad debts |
| 289 | Total deductions |
| 299 | Taxable total revenue – item 200 minus item 289 |
Block II – tax owed
| Item | Contents |
|---|---|
| 303 | Standard rate 8.1% |
| 313 | Reduced rate 2.6% |
| 343 | Accommodation rate 3.8% |
| 383 | Acquisition tax on supplies from abroad |
| 399 | Total tax owed |
If you file with the net tax rate, you will find items 321 and – with two approved rates – 331 here instead.
Block III – input tax
| Item | Contents |
|---|---|
| 400 | Input tax on materials and services |
| 405 | Input tax on investments and other operating expenses |
| 410 | Subsequent input tax deduction |
| 415 | Input tax corrections: mixed use, own consumption |
| 420 | Input tax reductions |
| 479 | Total input tax |
Block IV – what is payable
Item 500 shows the amount due to the FTA, item 510 a credit in your favour. Items 900 and 910 record subsidies, donations and the like – they do not increase the tax but can lead to input tax reductions.
Items 410 and 415 are forgotten most often – especially when switching filing method or converting private to business assets.
The deadlines that really count
- 60 days after the end of the reporting period: file and pay, unprompted.
- 180 days after the end of the financial year: differences from the revenue reconciliation must be corrected by the reporting period into which this day falls. That is the finalisation.
- 240 days after the end of the financial year: if no correction return arrives by then, the tax period is deemed closed.
You can request a filing extension from the FTA. It does not move the payment deadline – default interest keeps running. If you are cutting it close, you are better off paying an estimated instalment and filing later.
The revenue reconciliation – the step most people skip
At year end you reconcile: does the sum of revenue declared in the returns match the income in your income statement? And does the input tax claimed match the input-tax accounts?
Typical differences arise from:
- Bad debts written off but never reported in item 235.
- Private shares of the company car or phone that were not settled.
- Income on accounts nobody mapped to VAT – ancillary revenue, asset sales, proceeds from selling used goods.
- Period shifts between invoice date and payment receipt when the filing type changes.
If you do this reconciliation yourself, you find the difference before the FTA does. If you skip it, you find it at the next audit – then with back payment and default interest.
What good software takes off your hands here
Filling the form from the entries is pure legwork and thus a job for the software. What makes sense:
- Automatic mapping of VAT codes to the right items.
- A warning when an expired period is still open.
- Revenue reconciliation at the press of a button instead of a side calculation in Excel.
- Both methods – effective and net tax rate – without setting the client file up anew.
That is exactly what Accountydoes: VAT return, period control and bank reconciliation are included in the price, without module surcharge. Which filing method is cheaper for you is covered in our article on the Net tax rate.
Frequently asked questions
By when do I have to file the VAT return?
Within 60 days of the end of the reporting period, unprompted (Art. 71 VAT Act). Payment is due within the same period (Art. 86 VAT Act). You can request a filing extension from the FTA – but it does not move the payment deadline and does not stop default interest.
How often do I have to file?
Under the effective method usually quarterly, with the net tax rate half-yearly. Since 1 January 2025, annual filing is also possible on request if revenue does not exceed CHF 5,005,000 – with instalments due during the year.
What is the revenue reconciliation?
The comparison of declared revenue with the books at year-end. Any difference must be corrected – at the latest in the reporting period into which the 180th day after the end of the financial year falls. That is the finalisation under Art. 72 VAT Act.
What happens if I do not correct anything?
If no correction return is received within 240 days of the end of the financial year, the FTA assumes your filed returns are complete and correct. The tax period is then deemed finalised.
Which tax rates currently apply?
Since 1 January 2024: 8.1 percent standard rate, 2.6 percent reduced rate for everyday goods and 3.8 percent special rate for accommodation services.
Agreed or received consideration – what is the difference?
Under agreed consideration the invoice date counts; under received consideration, the payment receipt. If you have many debtors with long payment terms, filing on received consideration protects your liquidity because the tax only falls due when payment arrives.
Read next: Net tax rate or effective method? · Accounting software compared · Accounty for fiduciaries
This article reflects the position as of August 2026 and is for general guidance. The publications of the Swiss Federal Tax Administration and the applicable laws are authoritative. It does not replace individual advice.
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VAT returns without paper chaos
Accounty fills the FTA form from your entries, warns about expiring periods and turns the revenue reconciliation into a button press.
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