Collaborative desk with laptops and documents, top view

Invoice scanning for engineering firms in Boningen: rules, deadlines, best practice

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

Access for the fiduciary, the auditor and employees is set by roles: view, enter, approve, close. Well-set rights protect the data and speed up collaboration.

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.

The Swiss legal frame for invoice scanning

In Switzerland, the duty to keep accounts stems from art. 957 ff. of the Code of Obligations. Legal entities (Sàrl, SA) and sole proprietorships with at least CHF 500,000 in revenue keep full accounts: balance sheet, income statement and notes. Below that threshold, a simplified record of income, expenses and assets is sufficient.

Art. 957a CO requires complete, truthful and systematic recording of transactions, each entry backed by a supporting document. For invoice scanning, that means in practice: no movement without a receipt, and an audit trail that can be reconstructed at any time — including during a VAT or AHV inspection.

Outsource invoice scanning or keep it in-house?

Outsourcing invoice scanning to a fiduciary frees up time and secures compliance; keeping it in-house preserves a continuous view and costs less in fees. The best answer is often hybrid: the company captures and digitises as it goes, the fiduciary supervises, closes the books and represents the company before the authorities.

For invoice scanning, the internal-external duo works when both sides see the same file: same entries, same documents, same deadlines. Misunderstandings are born from parallel copies.

Meeting in a bright conference room

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.

A business in Boningen can collect by QR-bill even without sophisticated software: what matters is that every incoming payment finds its invoice, manually or automatically.

Boningen: what changes, what does not

Boningen (postal code 4618, canton Solothurn) applies the same federal rules as the rest of the country: what changes in Boningen are the cantonal counterparts — tax administration, compensation office, commercial register.

For a business in Boningen, that means VAT returns identical to anywhere in Switzerland, but a tax return and family allowances governed by the canton Solothurn.

Frequently asked questions

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 Boningen too.

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 Boningen.

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 Boningen can therefore archive fully digitally.

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 Boningen 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 Boningen: 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.

    Invoice scanning for engineering firms in Boningen