Business assets
Business assets are the assets predominantly serving self-employed activity; the classification decides depreciation, interest deduction and the tax consequences on sale.
Definition
For a sole proprietorship the distinction carries weight: gains from selling business assets are taxable income and subject to AHV contributions, gains from selling private assets are as a rule tax-free. A property or a vehicle on the borderline is therefore not a matter of form.
What governs is actual use, not the bookkeeping. Whoever books a predominantly privately used vehicle into business assets risks correction along with a clawback of the depreciation.
Where to read it
What the software must be able to do
For the software this means: fixed assets should be able to carry a usage share per item, and private shares belong visibly in the accounts — not in a side calculation at the fiduciary.
Checked Aug 2026
More terms under Bookkeeping and retention: Accrual principle Accrued liabilities Annual accounts Association accounting Balance sheet Balance sheet total Book value Break-even point Business expenses Cash book Cash flow statement Cash receipts Contribution margin Cost centre Current assets Debit and credit Depreciation Double-entry bookkeeping Duty to keep accounts EBIT EBITDA Equity Equity ratio Financial year Fixed assets Fixed costs Foreign currency General ledger Gross profit Hidden reserves Income statement Inventory count Journal Journal entry Liabilities Liquidity Loss carry-forward Membership dues Net profit Opening balance sheet Overheads Pass-through item Prepaid expenses Provision Record-keeping ordinance Reserves Retained profit Simple accounts Swiss SME chart of accounts Tamper resistance Turnover Value adjustment Variable costs Volunteer-run structure Voucher Year-end closing modules