Free Excel Accounting Template for Swiss Freelancers

Starting your freelance journey in Switzerland is exciting—until you realize you need to keep proper accounting records. Even if you're earning CHF 30,000 a year, Swiss tax law requires you to track income and expenses systematically.

The good news? If you're earning under CHF 500,000 annually, you can use simplified bookkeeping (what the Swiss call "Milchbüechli-Rechnung"). And you can do it all in a simple Excel spreadsheet.

This guide includes a free, Swiss-compliant Excel template plus everything you need to know about managing your freelance finances legally and efficiently.

Perfect for: New freelancers, sole proprietors under CHF 500,000 revenue, and anyone not yet ready for full accounting software.

The CHF 500,000 Rule

If your annual revenue stays below CHF 500,000, you're allowed to use simplified bookkeeping (einfache Buchhaltung). This means single-entry accounting—essentially tracking what comes in and what goes out.

Once you cross CHF 500,000, you must switch to double-entry bookkeeping. That's when most freelancers hire an accountant or invest in professional accounting software.

The CHF 100,000 VAT Threshold

Hit CHF 100,000 in annual revenue? You must register for VAT (MWST/TVA/IVA). As of January 1, 2024, the standard VAT rate is 8.1%.

Below this threshold, VAT registration is optional. Most small freelancers stay unregistered to keep things simple.

What "Milchbüechli-Rechnung" Actually Means

This charming Swiss-German term literally means "milk notebook accounting"—named after the simple ledgers dairy farmers used to track milk sales.

For modern freelancers, it means:

• Recording all business income
• Tracking all business expenses
• Keeping receipts and invoices
• Separating business from personal finances
• Maintaining records for 10 years

No complicated balance sheets required. Just clear records of money in and money out.

Setting Up (First 15 Minutes)

1. Make a copy of the template in your Google Drive or download it to your computer
2. Save it securely with a clear name: "Freelance_Accounting_2025"
3. Enable auto-save if using cloud storage
4. Create monthly backups on a separate drive

Recording Your Income

Each time you invoice a client, add a new row:

Invoice Date: The date you sent the invoice (matters for tax year allocation)

Invoice Number: Use a consistent numbering system (2025-001, 2025-002, etc.)

Client Name: Helps you see which clients bring most revenue

Description: Brief service description ("Website design - ABC Company")

Amount (CHF): The full invoice amount including VAT if you charge it

Payment Date: When you actually received the money (leave blank until paid)

Status: Paid/Unpaid/Overdue

This simple tracking helps you spot late payers and forecast cash flow.

Tracking Your Expenses

Add every business expense immediately—don't wait until month-end:

Date: When you made the purchase

Category: Pick from Swiss-relevant categories (see next section)

Description: Specific enough to remember ("MacBook Pro for client work" not just "computer")

Amount (CHF): Full amount paid including VAT

VAT Amount: Extract this if you're VAT-registered (otherwise leave blank)

Receipt: Note where you filed the physical or digital receipt ("Dropbox/Receipts/2025-03")

Pro tip: Take photos of paper receipts immediately and store them in cloud folders organized by month.

Home Office Costs

If you work from home, deduct a proportional amount of rent, electricity, heating, and internet. Most cantons accept 20-30% of home costs if you use one room primarily for business.

Example: You pay CHF 2,000 monthly rent. Your office is one of five rooms. Deduct approximately CHF 400/month (CHF 4,800/year).

Professional Services

Accountant fees, legal advice, business insurance, bank fees—all fully deductible.

Marketing and Advertising

Website hosting, business cards, online ads, networking event fees—anything promoting your business.

Pillar 3a Pension Contributions

Freelancers without a second-pillar pension can deduct up to CHF 36,288 in 2025 (20% of net income). This is your biggest potential tax saver.

Year-End Checklist

Eight weeks before deadline:

• ✓ Close your books for the previous year
• ✓ Verify all invoices marked as "paid" actually cleared
• ✓ Reconcile expense totals against bank statements
• ✓ Calculate total income by category
• ✓ Sum all deductible expenses by category
• ✓ Compute net profit (income minus expenses)
• ✓ Calculate estimated AHV/AVS contributions
• ✓ Determine Pillar 3a contribution (if applicable)
• ✓ Generate summary report for accountant

Where Your Numbers Go

Most Swiss cantonal tax forms ask for:

Total Gross Income: Sum of all invoices issued (even if not all paid yet)

Business Expenses: Total of all deductible expenses

Net Profit: The difference—this is what gets taxed

Social Security Paid: Your AHV/AVS contributions

Pension Contributions: Pillar 3a deductions

Your Excel template calculates these automatically in the summary section.

Working with an Accountant

Even with perfect Excel records, many freelancers hire accountants for final tax filing. Your organized spreadsheet makes this:

• Faster: Accountants charge by the hour—good records save money
• Cheaper: Less time = lower bills
• More accurate: Clear data means fewer errors
• Less stressful: No scrambling to find receipts in March

Expect to pay CHF 500-1,500 for basic tax preparation as a sole proprietor.

The Real Cost Calculation

Excel: CHF 0/month + 10 hours/month = CHF 500/month in time (at CHF 50/hour rate)

Accounting Software: CHF 25/month + 2 hours/month = CHF 125/month total

If your hourly rate is CHF 75 or higher, software pays for itself immediately.