Short answer
The invoice template is an Excel file with every detail a Swiss invoice needs when you are VAT-registered (VAT Act, art. 26): supplier with VAT number, recipient, date of service, description, consideration, tax rate and tax amount. Items, VAT and the total rounded to 5 centimes calculate automatically. Your e-banking or invoicing software generates the Swiss QR code, the template keeps space for it.
How to fill in the invoice template
- Enter your company details. Name, address and contact at the top left. If you are VAT-registered, your VAT number in the format CHE-123.456.789 MWST belongs on every invoice.
- Enter the recipient. Company, contact person, street and number, postcode and town each have their own line. That way the address carries over to the QR code later without rework.
- Set number and dates. Assign sequential invoice numbers and enter the invoice date and the date or period of service. «Payable by» adds 30 days.
- Enter line items. Quantity, unit, unit price and an optional discount in percent. Subtotal, VAT, rounding and total calculate themselves.
- Check the VAT rate. The standard rate of 8.1 % is preset. Food, books and medicines use 2.6 %, accommodation 3.8 %. Without VAT registration, set 0 %.
- Add the payment part and send. Enter IBAN and bank, generate the QR payment part in your e-banking or invoicing software and insert it at the bottom. Then save as PDF and send.
Mandatory details on a Swiss invoice
If you are not VAT-registered, the layout is up to you. For VAT-registered businesses, article 26 of the VAT Act sets out what the invoice must contain so the customer can reclaim input tax:
| Detail | Example from the template |
|---|---|
| Name and location of the supplier, VAT number | Sample Painting Ltd, Zurich, CHE-000.000.000 VAT |
| Name and location of the recipient | Keller Electrical Ltd, Bern |
| Date or period of service | October 2026 |
| Type, subject and scope of the service | Painting office, 64 m² |
| Consideration | CHF 2,125.90 |
| Tax rate and tax amount | 8.1 %, CHF 172.20 |
On till receipts up to CHF 400 the recipient may be omitted (art. 26 para. 3). The law does not require an invoice number or payment term, but without them every query and every reminder becomes tedious.
Payment terms and default
There is no statutory default term. 30 days net is common, 10 to 20 days for private customers. If the invoice states a clear due date, the customer is in default once it passes, without a reminder (Code of Obligations, art. 102 para. 2). From then on they owe default interest of 5 % per year unless agreed otherwise (art. 104).
What about the QR invoice?
Since October 2022 the QR payment part has replaced the old payment slips. Since 21 November 2025 only structured addresses are permitted in the Swiss QR code, with street, number, postcode and town in separate fields. The code contains check digits and must follow the SIX standard. Excel cannot do that reliably, so the template keeps the space free.
A matching quote for the invoice is in the quote template.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to show VAT on the invoice?
- Only if you are VAT-registered. Then the tax rate and tax amount belong on the invoice, for prices including VAT the rate is sufficient. If you are not registered, you must not show VAT.
- When do I have to register for VAT?
- Generally from CHF 100,000 annual revenue from taxable supplies. Below that you can register voluntarily, for example if you have a lot of input tax.
- How long must I keep invoices?
- Ten years from the end of the financial year (Code of Obligations, art. 958f). This applies to invoices issued and received. Electronic storage is allowed if the files remain unalterable and readable.
- Can I send the invoice without a QR payment part?
- Yes. A QR payment part is not mandatory, an IBAN on the invoice is enough. With a QR code, customers pay faster and with fewer errors, and you can match payments automatically via the reference.
