Pen pointing at a bar chart on paper

Invoice scanning required documents in Finhaut: what every SME should know

Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around invoice scanning in Finhaut, every SME draws its own line. The reference points below — federal law, cantonal practice and lessons from the field — help you place the cursor well.

Digitalising invoice scanning: what actually works

Security is part of digitalisation: named access, tested backups, encryption of sensitive data. A digital accounting file is protected like a safe — because it is one.

For an SME in Finhaut, the real gain of digitalised invoice scanning shows day to day: no paper pile at month-end, VAT prepared continuously, and an owner reading today's figures rather than last quarter's.

A well-structured SME chart of accounts

A chart of accounts gets documented: one description line per account (what, when, VAT) is enough for two people to post the same way. It is the quality manual of invoice scanning, valid in Finhaut as anywhere.

The chart of accounts is also the hinge to VAT: every revenue account carries its rate (8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8% or exempt), every expense account its input-tax right. Set those attributes once in the tool and every subsequent return becomes reliable.

Outsource invoice scanning or keep it in-house?

The scope goes down in writing: who enters data, who approves payments, who answers the tax office, who keeps the originals. Every “we'll see” at the start becomes a December misunderstanding — in Finhaut as elsewhere.

In Finhaut, 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.

Meeting in a bright conference room

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.

The winning trio remains: QR-bills for collections, e-banking connected to the accounts for statement imports (camt.053), and automatic matching rules. Exceptions — partial payments, duplicates, missing references — are then handled in minutes, not hours.

Finhaut: what changes, what does not

Finhaut (postal code 1925, canton Valais) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Finhaut are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

Finhaut requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 1925 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

How long must records related to invoice scanning 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 Finhaut 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 Finhaut as anywhere.

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 Finhaut, family allowances follow the canton's rates.

When must a business register for VAT?

As soon as its worldwide annual turnover reaches CHF 100,000 (CHF 250,000 for non-profit sports or cultural associations). Below that, voluntary registration remains possible and often makes sense to reclaim input VAT on investments. The threshold is federal: it applies in Finhaut as everywhere in Switzerland.

Also worth reading

In neighbouring municipalities

Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

MyFiducia.ai automates invoice scanning for businesses in Finhaut: 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.