Frequently asked questions
Your questions about Swiss invoicing
Twenty-five short answers, grouped by topic, to the questions self-employed professionals and small businesses ask most often.
Getting started with invoicing
- Where should I start when invoicing for the first time?
- First gather your full contact details, your IBAN and your VAT status. These three items only need to be set up once and are then used on all your invoices. The rest is describing the services.
- Do I need a sole proprietorship registered in the commercial register to issue invoices?
- No. A self-employed person can issue invoices without registration as long as they remain below the threshold at which registration becomes mandatory. However, registering with a compensation office as self-employed is an important step not to forget.
- What numbering system should I use for invoices?
- A readable format such as the year followed by a sequence number works in most cases. The important thing is that numbers are consecutive, unique and never reused after a cancellation.
- Can I invoice before a service is completed?
- Yes, with a deposit or interim invoice, provided this was stated in the offer. The document should clearly indicate that it is a deposit and what it covers.
- Can a quote be turned into an invoice?
- Yes, and this is very common. Reuse the same line items, add the invoice number, date and payment details, and tell the customer that the document corresponds to the accepted offer.
QR invoice and payment
- What exactly is a QR invoice?
- It is a standard invoice whose lower section contains a standardised payment section with a QR code showing the beneficiary, amount and reference. It replaced the former payment slips.
- Does the QR code work if the invoice is printed in black and white?
- Yes. The code can be read perfectly in black on white, provided the print is sharp and the code is neither reduced nor covered.
- What happens if the customer pays a different amount?
- The payment still reaches your account. You need to match the amount received to the relevant invoice and request any remaining balance if necessary.
- Can an invoice be issued without an amount?
- Yes. The payment section can be issued without an amount, for example for a donation or an open payment. The payer then enters the amount themselves.
- Do I need a Swiss bank account to receive payment from a QR invoice?
- The payment section is based on a Swiss or Liechtenstein IBAN. Without this type of account, you can still invoice, but you need to show your bank details in plain text rather than using a QR code.
VAT and invoice details
- How can I check whether a company is actually VAT-registered?
- The Confederation's public business register lets you check a UID and see whether it is associated with VAT-liable status. This is useful before disputing VAT charged on an invoice.
- Can I apply two different VAT rates on the same invoice?
- Yes. Each line item can have its own rate, and the tax amounts are then grouped by rate in the summary before the total in francs.
- Should prices be shown excluding or including VAT?
- Both are possible between businesses, as long as the invoice remains unambiguous. For private customers, the usual practice is to show the price that will actually be paid.
- What should I put on the invoice if I am not VAT-registered?
- No VAT rate or VAT amount, not even zero. A short statement that you are not VAT-registered is enough to avoid questions from your customer's accounting department.
- Is an invoice written in English valid in Switzerland?
- Yes, no specific language is required. For a Swiss customer and in the event of an audit, a version in a national language is often more convenient.
Tracking, reminders and accounting
- How do I know which invoices have been paid?
- You reconcile payments against movements on your bank account. Marking each invoice as paid as you go avoids having to redo everything at the end of the quarter.
- What should I do if a customer disputes an invoice?
- Refer back to the accepted offer and written exchanges, then respond point by point. If the dispute concerns only part of the invoice, suggest payment of the undisputed portion while the matter is being resolved.
- Can an invoice that has already been sent be cancelled?
- You do not delete it. You cancel it, keep a record of the cancellation and issue a new document with a different number.
- How do I prepare the figures for my tax return?
- An export of all invoices for the year, with dates, net amounts, VAT and totals, covers the essential part. Your fiduciary can then add the expenses.
- Do I need full accounting if I am self-employed?
- Below a certain annual turnover, a record of income and expenses together with a statement of assets is sufficient. Above that threshold, full accounting becomes mandatory.
The service and your account
- Do I need to install software?
- No. Everything runs in the browser, on computer and phone, and there is nothing to update.
- Is my data hosted in Switzerland?
- Your data is hosted in Europe on infrastructure compliant with Swiss and European data protection law. It is neither resold nor used for advertising purposes.
- Can I retrieve my invoices if I leave the service?
- Yes, at any time, as a spreadsheet export and downloadable documents. Your archives do not depend on your subscription.
- How many customers and invoices can I create?
- There is no limit on the number of customers, services or invoices in the subscription.
- How can I get help if I have a problem?
- Write to info@myswissinvoice.ch describing the situation. You will usually receive a reply on the next business day.
Still have a question?
Write to us at info@myswissinvoice.ch, or try a complete invoice directly with the free generator.