In Switzerland, every company, whether a small business, partnership, or listed group, must comply with financial reporting rules set out in the Swiss Code of Obligations (Articles 957 ff.).

At their core, these regulations define what annual financial statements must comprise: balance sheet, income statement, notes (including valuation principles).

While smaller entities are subject to simplified requirements, larger companies may be required to prepare additional financial information, such as a cash flow statement, a management report, or consolidated financial statements in accordance with recognized financial reporting standards.

These obligations can be complex and time-consuming, especially for finance teams already stretched thin. At KPMG, we combine deep regulatory knowledge with practical experience to help you meet your statutory reporting duties – efficiently, accurately, and with added value for your stakeholders.

Dr. Silvan Loser

Partner, Head of DPP Swiss Financial Reporting

KPMG Switzerland

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Prof. Dr. Reto Eberle

Partner, Member of the Department of Professional Practice

KPMG Switzerland

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Why KPMG services?

Deep expertise in Swiss law

Our specialists have in-depth knowledge of the Swiss Code of Obligations. They support you to ensure your financial statements are accurate and compliant.

Value beyond compliance

We go beyond merely fulfilling legal requirements: our insights create transparency for stakeholders and provide a reliable basis for informed business decisions.

End-to-end support

From preparing statutory financial statements to optimizing your reporting processes, we support you throughout the entire reporting cycle.

Industry-specific solutions

We understand the unique challenges of your industry and tailor our services to meet your specific business needs.

Understanding your challenges

Preparing financial statements under the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO) can be more complex than it seems. Many companies face the challenge of complying with legal requirements while also meeting the expectations of stakeholders.

Typical pain points include:

Complexity of regulations

Understanding what is required by the law, especially for larger entities or groups, can be confusing.
Resource constraints

Finance teams on occasion lack the time or expertise to handle all statutory requirements efficiently.
Consistency and transparency

Ensuring that financial statements are both legally compliant and transparent for investors, banks, and shareholders.
Balancing compliance and business value

Many companies view CO reporting as merely a “check-the-box” exercise, missing the opportunity to use it as a powerful tool for targeted communication with their stakeholders.

KPMG combines deep expertise with practical experience to make financial reporting more efficient, reduce risks, and create sustainable value from compliance.

Tailored solutions for your company size

Organizations face different reporting challenges under the Swiss Code of Obligations. KPMG provides solutions that are adapted to your company’s size and complexity.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Many SMEs struggle with limited resources and complying with all reporting requirements. Preparing accurate disclosures without a dedicated reporting team is often time-consuming and complex.

How we help:
- Practical guidance on the minimum CO requirements
- Simplification of reporting processes to reduce administrative burden
- Ensuring your annual report remains compliant and audit-ready

Larger companies
Companies subject to ordinary audits face stricter obligations, including cash flow statements, extended disclosures, and management reports. These can be resource-intensive and technically complex.

How we help:
- Preparation and review of cash flow statements and management reports
- Clarification of application questions
- Efficient implementation of reporting processes tailored to your organization

Listed companies, large cooperatives and foundations
These entities must often prepare additional stand-alone financial statements under recognized financial reporting standards such as IFRS or Swiss GAAP FER, alongside their statutory CO accounts. This leads to increased effort, greater complexity, and rising expectations from regulators and stakeholders.

How we help:
- End-to-end support for IFRS, Swiss GAAP FER, and CO requirements
- Avoiding unnecessary duplication through optimized reporting structures
- Ensuring transparency to meet the expectations of stakeholders and regulators

Groups requiring consolidated financial statements
Consolidation brings additional complexity aligning subsidiaries, ensuring consistency, and applying “true and fair view” standards where required. Only consolidated financial statements of publicly traded companies, large cooperatives and foundations subject to an ordinary audit must be prepared in accordance with a recognized financial reporting standard.

How we help:
- Practical support with consolidation processes and adjustments
- Guidance on “true and fair view” standards for listed companies, large cooperatives, and foundations
- Delivering compliance while providing meaningful information for management and stakeholders