Private individuals: no obligation — keep anyway

Scope: what exactly applies

The honest answer here is: there is nothing to calculate. The retention obligation in the Code of Obligations follows from the duty to keep accounts, and that applies to businesses, not private households. The question gets interesting where the line runs: anyone who is self-employed — even as a sideline, even below the CHF 500,000 turnover threshold — stands on the business side and must keep records and vouchers for ten years. For the purely private sphere two practical recommendations remain: keep tax records until the assessment is legally final, and everything concerning your own property permanently, because a later sale will have to prove the investment costs.

In practice with bexio

Anyone using bexio privately alongside a self-employed sideline sits exactly on this line: for the business part the ten years apply. quintio continuously mirrors the documents from bexio into your own Google Drive — keeping the business filing cleanly apart from what stays private anyway.

Related retention periods

• Invoices 10 years — insofar as they substantiate an entry
• Receipts and cash-register slips 10 years as accounting vouchers
• Real-estate documents 20 years — thereafter until the tax limitation period is reached
• To the retention period calculator
• Retention obligation in Switzerland: who, what, how long

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Do private individuals have to keep receipts?

There is no general statutory obligation. The ten-year period in the Code of Obligations applies to businesses required to keep accounts.

How long should I keep tax documents privately?

Sensibly, until the assessment is legally final. While the procedure is open you can be asked about individual records.

What if I am self-employed on the side?

Then the business rule applies to that part: records and vouchers for ten years — regardless of turnover.