E-invoicing for architecture firms in Quarten: what every SME should know
E-invoicing for architecture firms in Quarten raises the same questions for most Swiss SME owners: which obligations apply, which deadlines are running, which documents to prepare. This page covers the federal rules in force — without unnecessary jargon.
Digitalising e-invoicing: what actually works
A serious accounting document archive links every record to its entry, timestamps versions and logs access — exactly what Swiss bookkeeping regulation expects from probative electronic retention. Chronological filing by financial year becomes an automatic by-product.
Migrate in stages: supplier invoices first (high volume, immediate gain), then receivables with the QR-bill, finally payroll and the closing. At each stage, comparing one month before/after is enough to prove the gain — no theoretical promises needed.
Outsource e-invoicing or keep it in-house?
A fiduciary's cost depends first on the quality of the data received: digitised, filed, reconciled documents are processed fast; a box of loose receipts is billed by the hour. Improving the internal preparation of e-invoicing lowers fees more surely than any negotiation.
For e-invoicing, a quarterly 30-minute check-in with the fiduciary beats an annual marathon: questions get handled while they are small.
QR-bills and friction-free collections
Technically, two routes coexist: the classic IBAN with an optional reference, or the QR-IBAN which requires a structured 27-position QR reference. Only the second route makes matching truly automatic — every payment carries the exact identifier of its invoice.
A business in Quarten 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
Swiss accounting law has been unified in the Code of Obligations since 2013: the same bookkeeping rules (art. 957a CO) and retention rules (art. 958f CO — 10 years for books, vouchers and reports) apply regardless of legal form. E-invoicing sits squarely within this frame, including for companies based in Quarten.
The law also settles the form: accounts may be kept in a national language or in English, on paper or electronically (art. 957a para. 5 CO). That pragmatism lets e-invoicing run entirely on digital tools — no paper binder is required.
Quarten: what changes, what does not
Quarten (postal code 8877, canton St. Gallen) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Quarten are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.
Federal deadlines do not move in Quarten: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 8877 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.
Frequently asked questions
What are the current Swiss VAT rates?
Since 1 January 2024: 8.1% (standard), 2.6% (reduced — for example food and medicines) and 3.8% (accommodation). Returns must be filed and paid within 60 days after the period ends (quarterly under the effective method, semi-annually under the net tax rate method). These federal rates apply unchanged in Quarten.
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 Quarten.
Do you need a fiduciary for e-invoicing, or can you do it yourself?
Both are defensible. Below CHF 500,000 of revenue, a sole proprietorship may keep simplified accounts itself. As soon as payroll, VAT and a closing with tax stakes are involved, professional support prevents mistakes that cost more than the fees. With a shared platform, the fiduciary does not even need to be in Quarten.
Which documents should be prepared for the year-end closing?
Bank and cash statements at the closing date, the inventory of stock and work in progress, final AHV/LPP/accident settlements, contracts signed or amended during the year, invoices straddling two years and the detail of accruals. With an up-to-date document archive, most of it is already there. The list is identical in Quarten: the CO dictates it, not the commune.
Also worth reading
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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates e-invoicing for businesses in Quarten: 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.