Accounting software for self-employed
professionals in Switzerland

If you’re self-employed in Switzerland, accounting software isn’t just about “doing books”—it’s about getting paid faster, staying VAT-compliant (MwSt/TVA), and making tax time painless (for you and your fiduciary / Treuhänder). This guide gives you a practical checklist of what you must track, what features to look for in Swiss accounting tools (including QR invoice / QR-Rechnung / facture QR support), and a comparison of popular options—ending with a clear recommendation based on how you work.

Last updated: January 31, 2026 (pricing and plan features can change—review quarterly).

Note: This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Requirements can vary by canton and your specific situation.

What “self-employed” means in Switzerland (and why it matters for accounting)

In Switzerland, “self-employed” typically means you operate as a sole proprietor (Einzelunternehmen / raison individuelle) or similar structure where you personally run the business and are responsible for its administration.

That affects accounting in three big ways:

1. You’re responsible for accurate records of income and expenses (even if you hire a fiduciary later).
2. You may need to manage VAT (MwSt/TVA) depending on turnover and activity.
3. You need clean documentation (invoices, receipts, bank proof) to support your tax declaration and business results.

Many freelancers start with spreadsheets—until they hit the first “Swiss reality checks”: QR invoices, mixed private/business bank transactions, clients paying late, VAT questions, and year-end reporting. Good software reduces all of that friction.

VAT (MwSt/TVA): threshold, workflow, and “voluntary VAT”

VAT is one of the main reasons self-employed people in Switzerland upgrade from spreadsheets. Even if your business is simple, VAT adds structure:

• You may need to register for VAT once you pass the turnover threshold (and in some cases, you can register voluntarily).
• You must issue invoices with the correct VAT handling and keep VAT evidence.
• You’ll typically need periodic VAT reporting and clean totals by rate.

What software should do here: Swiss VAT rates and reporting logic built-in, the ability to mark transactions correctly, and exports you can share with a fiduciary.

Tip: If you’re unsure whether you should register or how to treat VAT in edge cases, ask a fiduciary. The right software makes it easier to provide clean data—but it can’t replace professional advice.

Cash flow + AHV/AVS planning (avoid surprises)

Even without payroll, self-employed people should treat cash flow as a compliance-adjacent task: you want to consistently set money aside for taxes and social security (AHV/AVS), based on your actual results.

A simple approach many freelancers use:

• Track income and expenses weekly
• Maintain a “tax + AHV buffer” sub-account or separate bank account
• Review monthly: revenue, margin, upcoming payments

What software should do here: real-time profit visibility, bank feeds/imports, and categories that make your year-end numbers believable.

How to use this table:

• If you mainly invoice and track expenses, prioritize QR invoicing + receipt capture + simple exports.
• If you’re VAT-registered, prioritize VAT handling + reconciliation + clean VAT summaries.
• If you’re scaling, prioritize multi-user workflows + deeper reporting + integrations.

“I’m newly self-employed and want the simplest Swiss setup”

You want a tool that makes it easy to:

• Create QR invoices immediately
• Capture receipts from your phone
• See a simple profit picture without accounting jargon

Shortlist: Magic Heidi, smallinvoice (if you’re invoicing-first)

“I need VAT (MwSt/TVA) support and I want fewer mistakes”

You want:

• Swiss VAT logic built in
• Clear VAT summaries
• Bank import/reconciliation so payments and invoices match cleanly

Shortlist: Magic Heidi, KLARA, bexio (depending on complexity)

“I mostly need invoicing and I’m price-sensitive”

You want:

• A usable free tier or low-cost plan
• Professional invoice templates and QR billing
• Basic expense tracking

Shortlist: smallinvoice, Swiss21/AbaNinja ecosystem (review limitations), Magic Heidi (if you want accounting included)

“I prefer desktop software and I’m comfortable doing things manually”

You want:

• Offline control
• A classic accounting workflow
• Predictable annual pricing

Shortlist: Banana Accounting

“I’m scaling beyond solo: more processes, maybe employees later”

You want:

• Broader business admin features
• Multi-user access and structured workflows
• Reporting and integration options

Shortlist: bexio, KLARA (modular growth)

Magic Heidi tends to be a great fit if you:

• Want QR invoices and Swiss-friendly invoicing flows
• Prefer a straightforward system for expenses + receipts
• Want VAT-ready features without a steep learning curve
• Want a clean way to collaborate with a fiduciary later (exports, clear records)
• Don’t want to stitch together separate tools for invoicing and bookkeeping

Plans (as publicly shown):

• Free (limited to 3 invoices / 3 expenses)
• CHF 30/month
• CHF 299/year

A simple setup plan (so you actually stick with it)

If you want your accounting to stay “under control” year-round, set up a routine you can keep:

1. Create invoices in the tool (use QR invoice format if you bill Swiss clients).
2. Capture receipts immediately (mobile scan/photo → attach to expense).
3. Import bank transactions weekly and reconcile payments.
4. Monthly review (30 minutes): check unpaid invoices, top expense categories, and set aside money for taxes/AHV.
5. Quarterly: export a report pack for your fiduciary (or for your own records).