The financial year (exercice comptable) in Switzerland is defined as the 12-month accounting period used for annual financial statements. Unlike France where the calendar year (January–December) is quasi-universal, Swiss companies may close their accounts at any date — 30 June and 30 September closings are common in certain sectors. Under the CO, annual accounts must be approved by the shareholders' general meeting within 6 months of the year-end. In financial due diligence and valuation, a non-calendar financial year requires pro-forma restatement to compare with calendar-year listed comparables and to normalise for seasonality effects.

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Example: due diligence on a Swiss SME closing its accounts on 30 September requires Hectelion to reconstruct calendar-year (January–December) pro-forma data for comparability with listed sector peers. The restatement reveals a significant seasonality effect: EBITDA is 35% higher in the October–March semester than in April–September, an important factor for BFR normalisation and the timing of the acquisition closing.

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Hectelion handles non-calendar Swiss financial years in all comparative analyses and valuation models, ensuring accurate sector benchmarking and pro-forma restatements.