E-invoicing for law firms in Trimmis: rules, deadlines, best practice
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 Trimmis: what the law requires, what can be automated, and when to delegate.
Digitalising e-invoicing: what actually works
Accounting digitalisation always follows the same path: capture documents at the source (photo or PDF upload), let automatic recognition extract supplier, amount, date and VAT, approve the proposed entries, then archive each document linked to its entry. Every step removes a re-keying — and therefore an error source.
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.
QR-bills and friction-free collections
Since 30 September 2022, the QR-bill has fully replaced the old Swiss payment slips. The Swiss QR Code carries the IBAN (or QR-IBAN), the amount, the debtor and a structured reference: enough to match every incoming payment to its invoice automatically.
A business in Trimmis can collect by QR-bill even without sophisticated software: what matters is that every incoming payment finds its invoice, manually or automatically.
A well-structured SME chart of accounts
Nearly all Swiss SMEs rely on the standard SME chart of accounts (Sterchi/Käfer): classes 1 (assets) to 9 (closing), with revenue in class 3 and expenses in classes 4 to 6. Using this standard structure makes conversations with your fiduciary, auditor and tax administration far easier.
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.
Outsource e-invoicing or keep it in-house?
A good test before choosing: ask the fiduciary HOW it wants to receive the documents. A precise answer (formats, frequency, platform) says more than any brochure — including in Trimmis.
In Trimmis, as everywhere, the right collaboration rhythm follows the activity: monthly for payroll and data entry, quarterly for VAT, yearly for the closing and tax advice.
Trimmis: what changes, what does not
Working with a fiduciary from Trimmis no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Trimmis are shared online, while the canton Grisons keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.
Federal deadlines do not move in Trimmis: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 7202 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.
Frequently asked questions
Which social contributions does a Swiss employer pay?
AHV/IV/APG: 5.3% employer share (the same is withheld from the employee); unemployment insurance: 1.1% each up to CHF 148,200 a year; occupational pension (LPP) by age and plan (employer at least 50%); occupational accident insurance paid by the employer; family allowances by canton. For an employer in Trimmis, family allowances follow the canton's rates.
When is entry in the commercial register mandatory?
A Sàrl and an SA only come into existence with their registration. A sole proprietorship must register from CHF 100,000 of annual revenue; below that, registration stays voluntary but adds credibility and protects the business name. Registration goes through the canton's commercial register office — for Trimmis too.
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 Trimmis can therefore archive fully digitally.
What is the difference between a limited and an ordinary audit?
The ordinary audit applies to companies exceeding, for two consecutive years, two of three thresholds: CHF 20 million balance sheet total, CHF 40 million revenue, 250 full-time positions. Others fall under the limited audit, and those with no more than ten full-time positions on annual average can opt out with all shareholders' consent. These federal thresholds do not depend on the registered seat — in Trimmis as anywhere.
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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date
MyFiducia.ai automates e-invoicing for businesses in Trimmis: 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.