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Invoice scanning for e-commerce in Salvan: the practical guide

Whether you run a Sàrl, an SA or a sole proprietorship in Salvan, invoice scanning eventually lands on your desk. Here are the practical reference points — legal basis, deadlines and common pitfalls — to decide with a clear head.

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.

The selection criterion for a tool is not the length of its feature list but the robustness of the daily flow: reliable bank imports, VAT computed correctly (8.1 / 2.6 / 3.8%), a complete audit trail from document to entry, and a clean export for the auditor or fiduciary. Everything else is secondary.

QR-bills and friction-free collections

The QR-bill is generated from the accounts, not the other way round: the document is born with its reference, amount and due date already linked to the receivable entry — a clear win for SMEs in Salvan.

For invoice scanning, invoicing fast changes everything: a service billed the week it is delivered gets paid noticeably earlier than a month-end batch invoice.

The Swiss legal frame for invoice scanning

AHV audits and VAT audits follow the same logic: start from the documents, trace to the entries, check consistency. A business in Salvan with a clean audit trail sails through these exercises.

One simple principle drives invoice scanning: every franc in or out must be explainable by a document, an entry and an account. All of Swiss accounting law fits inside that traceability requirement.

Two people reviewing numerical reports

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.

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.

Salvan: what changes, what does not

Sole proprietorship, Sàrl or SA in Salvan: the AHV contact remains the competent compensation office, and taxes follow the scales of the canton Valais.

Salvan requires no special bookkeeping: the Code of Obligations applies at postal code 1922 as everywhere else, and a well-kept digital file transfers smoothly to any auditor in the canton.

Frequently asked questions

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 Salvan as everywhere in Switzerland.

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 Salvan as anywhere.

Do you need a fiduciary for invoice scanning, 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 Salvan.

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 Salvan.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

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