E-invoicing template in Lumino: what every SME should know
Between VAT, social contributions and the year-end close, a Swiss SME juggles dozens of deadlines a year. This page focuses on e-invoicing in Lumino: what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.
Digitalising e-invoicing: what actually works
Automation is judged on the exceptions: what happens when the document is unreadable, the supplier unknown, the amount divergent? A good tool isolates those cases and lets a human decide fast — precious for teams in Lumino.
Electronic archiving is fully recognised: Swiss bookkeeping regulation admits electronic retention of records provided integrity and readability are guaranteed for the 10 years of art. 958f CO. A paper binder is no longer an obligation — provided the archiving system is serious.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
The same chart serves three readings: accounting (accuracy), tax (accepted adjustments) and management (margins by activity). Modern software produces all three views without double entry.
Standard numbering also enables automation: stable posting rules (same supplier, same account) make data entry predictable and the audit faster. Avoid changing the chart of accounts mid-year — migrate at the closing date, with a documented mapping table.
QR-bills and friction-free collections
Electronic invoicing keeps advancing: the Swiss Confederation requires it from its suppliers for contracts from CHF 5,000, and more and more large Swiss companies ask for structured e-invoices rather than PDFs. Getting equipped early beats improvising under a client's deadline.
A business in Lumino can collect by QR-bill even without sophisticated software: what matters is that every incoming payment finds its invoice, manually or automatically.
The Swiss legal frame for e-invoicing
Three documents summarise the health of a Swiss business: the balance sheet (what it owns), the income statement (what it earns) and the notes (what else you should know). All the work of e-invoicing converges on those three pages, in Lumino too.
Also worth knowing: accounts may be drawn up in the currency most relevant to the business; if that is not the franc, values must additionally be stated in CHF (art. 958d para. 3 CO). Internationally active companies gain books that match their economic reality.
Lumino: what changes, what does not
Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Lumino: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Ticino.
Federal deadlines do not move in Lumino: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 6533 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.
Frequently asked questions
What are the legal obligations for e-invoicing in Switzerland?
The foundation is the Code of Obligations: proper bookkeeping (art. 957a CO), annual accounts (balance sheet, income statement, notes) and 10-year retention of books and records (art. 958f CO). VAT applies from CHF 100,000 of turnover, and social insurance settlements from the first employee. Nothing is different in Lumino: federal law applies.
How long must records related to e-invoicing be kept?
Ten years from the end of the financial year concerned (art. 958f CO). Electronic retention is permitted if the integrity and readability of the records are guaranteed — a serious digital archive validly replaces paper binders. A business in Lumino can therefore archive fully digitally.
What is simplified bookkeeping and who can use it?
Sole proprietorships and partnerships under CHF 500,000 of revenue may limit themselves to recording income, expenses and assets (art. 957 para. 2 CO). Once over the threshold — or upon founding a Sàrl or an SA — full accounts with balance sheet, income statement and notes become mandatory. The CHF 500,000 threshold is assessed the same way in Lumino.
Effective VAT method or net tax rate: how to choose?
The effective method deducts actual input VAT and files quarterly; the net tax rate method applies a flat industry rate to turnover, semi-annually, with no separate input VAT deduction. The flat rate suits low-cost structures; as investments grow, the effective method usually wins again. The choice rests on the company's own figures, in Lumino as anywhere.
Also worth reading
In neighbouring municipalities
Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates e-invoicing for businesses in Lumino: AI-read documents, posting suggestions, VAT and exports ready for your fiduciary. Try the platform or browse our other guides.
The application is operated in French.