---
title: Getting started with Swiss payroll
description: "Understand what Swiss payroll is for, its screens and rights, read the home page and choose the payroll engine of each sub-company."
url: "http://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/swiss-payroll-getting-started/"
updated: "2026-11-11"
category: Payroll / Swiss payroll
---

# Getting started with Swiss payroll

**Swiss payroll** calculates the salaries of your employees on Swiss contracts, following the Swissdec guidelines: monthly payrolls, payslips, accounting voucher, payment file, salary certificates, annual statements and declarations to funds, insurers and tax administrations. It is separate from the [Payroll](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/payroll-getting-started/) module, which prepares and exports payroll items without calculating any amount: a workspace can have one, the other or both. This article introduces the module, its screens and its rights, then explains the home page and how to choose the payroll engine of each sub-company. It is intended for payroll managers and administrators.

## The module at a glance

The module opens from the **Swiss payroll** menu entry. Each entry only appears if your role holds the matching right:

- **Calculation scope**: the home page, which shows what the module calculates, sub-company by sub-company — this article.
- **Missing data** and **Data imports**: what employees still lack to be calculated and declared, and bringing in data from a file — see [Completing employee data](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/swiss-payroll-employee-data/).
- **Payrolls**: one payroll per sub-company and per month, calculated, recalculated and then closed — see [Calculating and closing monthly payrolls](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/swiss-payroll-monthly-payroll-runs/).
- **Salary certificates**, **Annual statements** and **Payroll accounts**: the year’s outputs, taken from closed payrolls — see [Salary certificates, annual statements and payroll accounts](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/swiss-payroll-certificates-statements-and-accounts/).
- **Swissdec cockpit**: the salary declarations (ELM) to make and to follow up — see [The Swissdec cockpit](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/swiss-payroll-swissdec-cockpit/).
- **Payroll engines**: who calculates the payroll of each sub-company — explained below.

The calculation settings (employers and affiliations, wage types, legal parameters, withholding tax scales, payslip, accounting export, SFTP deposit, consistency checks, collective agreement contributions) are under **Settings › Swiss payroll** — see [Setting up Swiss payroll](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/swiss-payroll-setting-up/).

## Before you start

- The Swiss payroll module must be part of your subscription and activated in your workspace.
- To see the module, you need the **Swiss payroll module access** right. Each screen then has its own right, for example **Monthly payrolls**, **Swissdec cockpit and transmissions** or **Choose the payroll engine of each sub-company**.
- Rights have two levels: at **Access** level the screen can be read; actions (calculate, close, publish, save) require **Execute** level. Without the right, the entry does not appear.
- The **Administrator** and **Payroll Manager** roles hold every right of the module, at Execute level.
- Withholding tax data and religion are sensitive data, protected by a separate right: **Withholding tax and religion (sensitive data)**.
- Scope: everyone only sees the employees whose salary they can see, and totals cover them alone. Screens that add up every salary of a sub-company (annual statements, accounting voucher, payment file) require you to be able to see them all.

## Reading the home page

Open **Swiss payroll › Calculation scope**. The **Swiss payroll** page shows:

1. a banner reminding you that Swiss payroll is used without Swissdec: calculation, payslips, certificates and statements are available, and each declaration is downloaded and then marked “declared outside Swissdec” until Swissdec transmission is activated;
2. the **Calculation scope** card: one line for contracts without a sub-company, then one line per active sub-company, each with its payroll engine;
3. for each sub-company calculated by Illizeo, the number of items its employer still lacks (for example “4 items to complete”), or **Employer complete**. This link opens the employer’s page in the settings;
4. the **Missing workforce data** card, which counts contracts and complete contracts, with the **See the data to complete** button.

![Swiss payroll page: the Choose the payroll engines button, the banner reminding that Swiss payroll is used without Swissdec, the Calculation scope card with the line for contracts without a sub-company (SwissSalary) and three sub-companies on the Illizeo calculation engine, each with its number of items to complete, then the Missing workforce data card and its See the data to complete button.](https://i0.wp.com/illizeo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/paie-suisse-01.en_-scaled.png?resize=800%2C373&quality=80&ssl=1)
The home page shows what the module calculates, sub-company by sub-company.

As long as no sub-company is assigned to the Illizeo engine, the page says so: “No sub-company is calculated by Illizeo yet.” The module then calculates nothing.

## Choosing the payroll engine of each sub-company

The payroll engine is the software that runs a scope’s payroll. With the **Illizeo calculation engine**, the module calculates, declares and produces the outputs. With **SwissSalary**, it calculates nothing for that scope. A sub-company is paid either by the Illizeo engine or by SwissSalary, never both.

1. On the home page, click **Choose the payroll engines**, or open **Swiss payroll › Payroll engines**.
2. The **Payroll engines** page lists the line for contracts without a sub-company, then each active sub-company.
3. For each line, choose the engine in the list: **Illizeo calculation engine**, **SwissSalary** or **None**.
4. Click **Save**. The message “Payroll engines saved.” confirms. The button stays disabled until something has changed.

![Payroll engines page: one list per line — contracts without a sub-company on SwissSalary, three sub-companies on Illizeo calculation engine — and the Save button at the bottom right.](https://i0.wp.com/illizeo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/paie-suisse-02.en_-scaled.png?resize=800%2C242&quality=80&ssl=1)
One engine per sub-company: Illizeo, SwissSalary or none.

### The certified calculation engine

A line may show **Certified calculation engine**, with the note “Set by Illizeo: contact your Illizeo account manager to change it.” This engine is set and removed by Illizeo only; the line then offers no list.

### A sub-company already paid by another payroll

A sub-company assigned to another payroll calculated by Illizeo (for example another country’s payroll) cannot join Swiss payroll: saving is refused and the message invites you to change its engine in the payroll settings.

## Where to start

1. Choose the engine of each sub-company, as above.
2. Complete each employer: identity, workplaces, affiliations to funds and insurers — see [Setting up Swiss payroll](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/swiss-payroll-setting-up/).
3. Create your wage type catalogue and map the items of the employee records’ Salary tab to it.
4. Complete the workforce’s missing data — see [Completing employee data](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/swiss-payroll-employee-data/).
5. Calculate your first month — see [Calculating and closing monthly payrolls](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/swiss-payroll-monthly-payroll-runs/).

## Good to know

- Only Swiss contracts of a sub-company assigned to the Illizeo engine are calculated. An external contract (contractor, agency) is not handled by Swiss payroll.
- Only sub-companies on the Illizeo engine have payrolls, missing data and declarations.
- Each screen of the module has a **Help** button that opens a summary of the screen on the right.
- Legal parameters (federal rates and ceilings) and withholding tax scales are published by Illizeo: they can be consulted, not changed.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why does the module calculate nothing?

No sub-company is assigned to the Illizeo engine. Open **Payroll engines** and choose **Illizeo calculation engine** for the sub-companies to calculate.

### I cannot see the Payroll engines entry. Is that normal?

Yes, if your role does not have the **Choose the payroll engine of each sub-company** right. You then see each sub-company’s engine on the home page, without being able to change it.

### What is the difference with the Payroll module?

The [Payroll](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/payroll-getting-started/) module prepares payroll items and exports them to your payroll software or provider. Swiss payroll calculates Swiss salaries itself and produces the payroll outputs.

### *Similaire*