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Swiss Business Central stack

Swiss payroll in Business Central: what runs where

If you run a Swiss company on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the payroll question comes up fast. This guide covers what Business Central handles natively, the specialised solution most Swiss teams use for salaries, and where AI fits for everything around payroll.

Does Business Central handle Swiss payroll natively?

No. Microsoft does not ship a Swiss payroll localization in Business Central, and payroll is generally outside the standard scope of the ERP. In Switzerland, as in most markets, payroll is served by specialised ISV solutions that are certified for the local requirements and run inside Business Central.

That is a reasonable division of labour. Swiss payroll is deep domain territory: cantonal rules, certified wage reporting and frequent regulatory changes. It belongs in a dedicated, certified product inside Business Central rather than in generic ERP features stretched beyond their purpose.

What makes Swiss payroll demanding

A few Swiss specifics explain why payroll needs a dedicated solution.

  • Withholding tax (Quellensteuer): rates, tariff codes and filing procedures vary by canton, and they change regularly.
  • Social insurance contributions: AHV/AVS, ALV/AC, BVG/LPP, UVG/LAA and daily sickness allowance each follow their own rules, ceilings and rates.
  • The 13th month salary: common in Swiss employment contracts, it needs correct accrual, proration and payout handling.
  • The annual salary certificate (Lohnausweis): every employee must receive one, in the exact format the tax authorities require.
  • swissdec-certified wage reporting (ELM): salary data is transmitted electronically to authorities and insurers through the certified swissdec standard.

SwissSalary: the established payroll solution for Business Central

For payroll inside Business Central, SwissSalary is the established Swiss solution: swissdec-certified, built specifically for Swiss requirements, and widely used by Swiss companies and fiduciaries. It covers the payroll cycle inside Business Central, from monthly runs to year-end reporting.

The takeaway: payroll is a solved problem in the Swiss Business Central ecosystem. Pick the certified specialist rather than working around the ERP with spreadsheets or manual journal entries.

Where Zentriq fits in the Swiss BC stack

Zentriq is the AI layer for everything around payroll. Vendor invoices are read and entered automatically with AI invoice capture, including Swiss QR-bills with their payment references.

For everything else, you talk to the Zentriq Agent: ask questions in plain language and get charts and reports straight from Business Central, or create purchase and sales documents, always within your own BC permissions.

The stack is simple: Business Central as the ERP, a certified payroll solution like SwissSalary for salaries, and Zentriq for AI-assisted finance and purchasing. Each tool does what it is best at.

Frequently asked questions

Does Business Central include Swiss payroll?

No. Business Central has no native Swiss payroll localization. Swiss companies use a certified ISV solution such as SwissSalary that runs inside Business Central.

What is swissdec / ELM?

swissdec is the Swiss standard for certified electronic wage reporting (ELM) to authorities and insurers. A payroll solution used in Switzerland should be swissdec-certified.

Does Zentriq do payroll?

No. Zentriq is the AI layer for accounts payable, document capture and reporting in Business Central. Payroll belongs in a certified specialist like SwissSalary. The two run side by side in the same Business Central environment.

Can Zentriq read my payroll data?

Zentriq works with standard Business Central finance, purchasing and sales data, always within each user's BC permissions. Payroll data lives in your payroll solution and stays there.

Automate the rest of your Swiss finance stack

Payroll is covered by the specialists. For vendor invoices (including QR-bills), reporting and everyday Business Central questions, that is where Zentriq comes in.

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