Advisor handing a document and pen to a client

Invoice scanning for florists in Arch: rules, deadlines, best practice

Delegate, digitalise or do it all yourself? Around invoice scanning in Arch, 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

The classic digitalisation traps are avoidable: scanning without quality control (unreadable records), stacking disconnected tools (double entry in disguise), or neglecting access rights. One single flow from document to entry, with clear roles, beats five shiny apps.

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.

Outsource invoice scanning or keep it in-house?

Splitting roles clearly avoids duplication: the company captures documents and approves payments; the fiduciary checks postings, closes the year and defends the file before the authorities. Each side does what it does best — and nobody keys the same invoice twice.

A business in Arch can combine the models: internal day-to-day entry, monthly external supervision, closing and taxes with the specialist — invoice scanning splits very well.

QR-bills and friction-free collections

Instalments and partial payments are handled cleanly with distinct references per tranche: each collection finds its share, and the remaining balance stays correct at all times.

Reference discipline remains: an invoice issued without a structured reference — or paid by a client who truncates it — becomes a manual case again. Coaching recurring clients and keeping your own outgoing payments clean keeps the automation rate at the top.

Team analysing financial charts around a table

The Swiss legal frame for invoice scanning

Whether a business sits in Arch or elsewhere in Switzerland, the same federal law applies — one of the strengths of the Swiss system for invoice scanning. Cantonal differences concentrate on taxation (rates, filing deadlines); bookkeeping itself follows art. 957 ff. CO everywhere.

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.

Arch: what changes, what does not

Working with a fiduciary from Arch no longer depends on geography: the documents of a business in Arch are shared online, while the canton Bern keeps its own deadlines for the tax return.

Federal deadlines do not move in Arch: VAT within 60 days, salary declaration in January, 10-year record retention — postal code 3296 changes nothing about those rules, only the sender's address.

Frequently asked questions

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 Arch: the CO dictates it, not the commune.

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 Arch can therefore archive fully digitally.

How much does invoice scanning cost in Arch?

It depends on document volume, the number of salaries and VAT complexity — no serious figure can be quoted without examining the file. Two levers cut the bill everywhere: digitised, well-filed receipts and software that prepares entries instead of having them re-keyed.

What are the legal obligations for invoice scanning 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 Arch: federal law applies.

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Switch to accounting that keeps itself up to date

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