Fixed Assets
Gäld's asset register lets you track every tangible and intangible asset your business owns, record annual depreciation, and handle asset disposals — all linked directly to the ledger.
This page covers the UI workflow for the fixed assets module. For Swiss depreciation rates, legal framework (CO Art. 960a), and calculation methods (linear vs declining balance), see Depreciation.
The asset lifecycle
Created → Active → (annual depreciation) → Fully Depreciated
→ Disposed
Adding an asset
- Go to Assets → New Asset
- Fill in the asset details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Descriptive name (e.g. "MacBook Pro 16", "Company vehicle") |
| Category | Selects the default depreciation rate and account |
| Purchase date | Date the asset was put into service |
| Purchase price (CHF) | Gross cost including installation / import duties |
| Residual value (CHF) | Expected value at end of useful life (often CHF 0) |
| Depreciation method | Linear or declining balance |
| Depreciation rate | Annual rate — pre-filled from category, editable |
| Asset account | Balance sheet account (class 1) |
| Depreciation account | Expense account (class 6) |
| Accumulated depreciation account | Contra asset account (class 1) |
- Click Save
The asset is created with status Active and a depreciation schedule is calculated for its full useful life.
Asset categories and default rates
| Category | Method | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| IT equipment | Declining balance | 40% |
| Software | Declining balance | 40% |
| Vehicles | Declining balance | 40% |
| Office furniture | Declining balance | 25% |
| Machinery | Declining balance | 25% |
| Leasehold improvements | Linear | 10% |
| Buildings | Linear | 2% |
You can override the rate for any individual asset after selecting a category.
Viewing the depreciation schedule
On the asset detail page, the Depreciation Schedule tab shows:
- Year-by-year depreciation amounts
- Book value at each year-end
- Accumulated depreciation to date
- Expected year of full depreciation
A progress bar on the asset card shows how much of the asset's value has been depreciated so far.
Recording depreciation
Depreciation must be recorded once per year, typically at year-end. Gäld does not post depreciation automatically — you confirm each entry.
Record depreciation for a single asset
- Open the asset
- Go to the Depreciation Schedule tab
- Find the current year row
- Click Post Depreciation
- Confirm the journal entry
Debit 6800 Depreciation expense CHF X
Credit 1509 Accumulated depreciation CHF X
Record depreciation for all assets at once
- Go to Assets → Post Depreciation
- Select the fiscal year
- Review the list of assets and amounts
- Click Post All
Gäld posts one journal entry per asset. Already-posted entries for the year are excluded.
Running Post All a second time for the same year will produce duplicate depreciation entries. Check the Posted status column before posting.
Asset disposal
When you sell, scrap, or write off an asset:
- Open the asset
- Click Dispose Asset
- Fill in:
- Disposal date
- Disposal type: Sale / Scrap / Write-off
- Sale proceeds (CHF) — enter 0 for scrap or write-off
- Click Confirm
Gäld calculates the book value at disposal and posts the gain or loss automatically:
Example — sale of a laptop (book value CHF 400, sold for CHF 500):
Debit 1020 Bank CHF 500.00
Debit 1509 Accumulated depreciation CHF 1,600.00
Credit 1500 Asset (cost) CHF 2,000.00
Credit 8500 Gain on disposal CHF 100.00
Example — scrapping an asset (book value CHF 400):
Debit 1509 Accumulated depreciation CHF 1,600.00
Debit 8600 Loss on disposal CHF 400.00
Credit 1500 Asset (cost) CHF 2,000.00
Filtering the asset register
Use the filters on the Assets index page to view:
- All / Active / Fully depreciated / Disposed
- By category
- By date range
The asset list shows name, category, purchase date, purchase price, current book value, and status badge.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import existing assets from a spreadsheet? Not currently. Add existing assets manually with their original purchase date and price — Gäld will calculate the correct accumulated depreciation.
What if I bought an asset part-way through the year? Gäld calculates the first-year depreciation pro-rata from the purchase date. For example, an asset purchased on 1 July in a monthly-depreciation setup gets 6/12 of the annual depreciation in year one.
Does the asset module handle leased assets (IFRS 16)? No. The module covers owned assets under Swiss CO. Lease accounting under IFRS 16 is out of scope.