Create a Swiss QR-bill online

You have to show value added tax on your invoice once you have registered for VAT with the Federal Tax Administration.

Registration is required if you are liable for VAT – which is usually the case from CHF 100'000 of annual turnover (in Switzerland and abroad). You can also register voluntarily, which can pay off if you have to make large upfront investments.

If you have to issue invoices with VAT, we recommend Infinity as your invoicing software so that you can post the VAT you owe correctly straight away.

Learn more about it in our comprehensive VAT guide for self-employed people and Swiss small businesses.

There is no statutory rule on payment terms. You can therefore choose the payment term at your own discretion. A longer payment term is of course more accommodating for the recipient.

Remember to state the chosen payment term clearly and unambiguously on your invoice to avoid misunderstandings.

In Switzerland, written reminders are not regulated by law. According to the federal SME portal and the Debt Enforcement Act, you may start debt collection directly once the payment term has expired.

It is nevertheless recommended to send payment reminders before starting debt enforcement proceedings. Those proceedings are often tedious and unpleasant. An accidental oversight on the customer's side can in many cases be resolved with a reminder or a reminder fee.

Reminders usually work like this:

• Payment reminder
• First reminder
• Second reminder

Under art. 104 CO you may charge default interest of up to 5 % per year on reminders. If you charge more than 5 %, it has to be stated explicitly in your terms and conditions.

You are entirely free to issue a conventional invoice without a QR payment part. Note, however, that QR invoices are less cumbersome for your customers to pay, which lowers the risk of late payment.

Another key advantage of the QR invoice is fewer errors. Entering payment information by hand is error-prone, while the QR invoice transfers all the necessary data automatically and correctly.

Even if you trade as a self-employed person under a made-up name (e.g. Studio11), the official company name on invoices must also contain your family name (e.g. Studio11 Holzberg). General partnerships, public and limited liability companies are entirely free to use made-up names as long as the legal form suffix is there.