Is it important to have Swissdec-certified software for payroll management?

Discover SequenceManaging payroll in Switzerland: a real headache for SMEs

On the surface, managing payroll means paying your employees at the end of the month.

But in Switzerland, there is much more to it than that.

With every payroll cycle, an SME has to juggle a series of legal and administrative obligations. For example:

• AVS statements → 4 times a year (generally). 
  Or just 1 time if you have very few employees.
• Salary certificates: to be generated and submitted every year.
• LPP, LAA and other insurance schemes: at least once a year, and whenever an HR event occurs (joining, leaving, accident, maternity leave, etc.).

Each recipient (AVS compensation office, SUVA, tax authorities, pension fund, etc.) has its own formats, deadlines and rules

 What this means for you:

• Preparing the right documents for each institution
• Meeting deadlines (which are not all the same)
• Submitting data manually, often through separate portals
• Avoiding errors (names, AVS numbers, amounts, etc.)

 The result: even with only a few employees, payroll management quickly becomes a source of errors, stress and wasted time.

Many SMEs try to get by with Excel or general-purpose software, sometimes without knowing whether it is really suited to Swiss legislation.
But without a tool designed for this complex framework, every task becomes an obstacle course.

What exactly is Swissdec?

Swissdec is a Swiss standard that allows payroll management software to automatically transmit data to the relevant authorities.

In practical terms, Swissdec-certified software can send the following in a single process:

• salary data to AVS (old-age and survivors’ insurance),
• data to SUVA (accident insurance),
• contributions to LPP (occupational pensions, 2nd pillar),
• withholding tax for the employees concerned,
• and even certain data to the FSO (Federal Statistical Office).

 All of this automatically, securely and compliantly.

Why does this standard exist?

Because without Swissdec, each institution requires:

• Different formats,
• Its own procedures,
• and often a dedicated portal.

Swissdec simplifies all this with a common language recognised by all Swiss institutions.
The result: you avoid duplicate entries, errors and omissions… and above all, you save time.

What about security?

Swissdec sets high standards:
Data is encrypted, verified, tracked and sent through a secure platform.
No more manually submitted declarations or sensitive files sent by email.

How does it work?

Swissdec-certified software uses a standard called ELM (Lohnstandard-CH).
This is a standardised file format that brings together all the necessary data, ready to be transmitted to all the relevant institutions.

How can you tell whether software is certified?

It is simple: there is an official list kept up to date by Swissdec.
You can consult it here: https://swissdec.ch/fr/certified-erp/ 

2. What it actually changes for you (with or without Swissdec)

You already manage payroll.
But here is what the tasks look like, depending on whether your software is Swissdec-certified… or not.

Example: quarterly AVS declaration

🔴 Without Swissdec:

• Export payroll data to Excel or PDF
• Log in to the AVS portal
• Enter the amounts manually
• Send the files + check the confirmation
• Repeat the process for each institution (SUVA, LPP…)

✅ With Swissdec-certified software:

• The data is already prepared
• Submission happens automatically in just a few clicks
• Acknowledgements of receipt are centralised
• You have an overview of what was sent, to whom and when

This is where Swissdec really makes a difference:
It is not just a standard, it is a way to simplify your day-to-day work, avoid errors… and save several hours a month.

3. Sequence, a simple, comprehensive and certified solution

Designed by Swiss accountants who understand your daily challenges, Sequence  meets the specific needs of local SMEs.

With Sequence, you can:

• Generate and send payslips in minutes
• Easily manage absences, leave and HR events
• Automatically apply withholding tax and cantonal deductions
• Give your employees secure access to their documents 24h/24
• And above all: submit your payroll declarations to the authorities via Swissdec, automatically and compliantly

Ready to simplify your payroll management?

Discover how Sequence can transform your day-to-day administrative work.

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