How to create an invoice in Switzerland

What an invoice must contain

A Swiss invoice, even the simplest one, should always include these elements:

• Your details. Your name or company name, full address and — if you're VAT-registered — your UID/VAT number.
• The customer's details. Their name or company name and address.
• Invoice date and number. The issue date and a unique sequential number (see below).
• A clear description. What you sold or which service you provided, with quantity and unit price.
• The amount. The total, and — where applicable — the VAT with its rate.
• Payment terms. The deadline (for example "30 days") and the details for payment.
• The QR-Bill. The section with the Swiss QR code that lets the customer pay through their bank.

The QR-Bill: how you get paid

Since 30 September 2022 the old red and orange payment slips have been abolished. Today the standard way to get paid through a Swiss bank is the QR-Bill: a section at the bottom of the invoice with a QR code that holds all the payment data (amount, IBAN, reference).

The customer scans the code with their bank's app and pays without copying anything by hand. The QR code must follow the official Swiss standard (SIX, Swiss Payment Standards): if it's malformed, the bank can reject it. We have a dedicated guide: how the QR-Bill works.

And VAT? It depends on your turnover

The basic rule is simple:

• Below CHF 100'000 in annual turnover: you're not required to register for VAT. You issue invoices without VAT, without indicating any rates.
• Above CHF 100'000: you must register for VAT, show the rate applied on the invoice (8.1% standard, 2.6% reduced, 3.8% special) and your VAT number.

For the details on rates and on the accounting methods (effective or balance), see our practical guide to VAT in Switzerland.

Numbering and archiving

Numbering. Every invoice must have a unique, sequential number: it helps you find it again and lets the AFC verify it. A handy format is YEAR-NNN (for example 2026-014), but you can choose your own, as long as it doesn't repeat.

Archiving. In Switzerland invoices and accounting documents must be kept for 10 years (art. 958f of the Code of Obligations). A well-archived PDF is enough; what matters is not losing them.

The simplest way to get it right

You can create an invoice in Word or Excel too. The problem is the two things that have to be exact: the QR-Bill (if it's malformed the bank rejects it) and the VAT calculation. Getting those wrong means redoing the work or, worse, getting paid late.

Dedicated software takes the problem away: Vidima generates a valid QR-Bill and the correct PDF automatically, keeps your customer list, numbers the invoices for you and handles VAT if it applies to you. It's a desktop app for Windows and macOS, offline, a one-time payment of CHF 149 — no subscription. There's a 14-day free trial.