01Legal Retention Period: 10 Years
In Switzerland, a uniform retention obligation of 10 years applies to business documents. This period is enshrined in the Code of Obligations and applies to all businesses required to keep books — including sole proprietorships and part-time self-employed persons.
The 10-year period begins at the end of the financial year in which the documents were created or received. A receipt dated 15 March 2026 must therefore be retained until at least 31 December 2036.
In addition to the OR, other laws prescribe retention periods. In practice, however, the 10-year period is the relevant standard:
| Legal Basis | Period | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| OR Art. 958f | 10 years | Accounting records, vouchers, annual report |
| MWSTG Art. 70 | 10 years | All VAT-relevant documents |
| DBG Art. 126 | 10 years | Tax documents (per cooperation obligation) |
| GeBüV Art. 3 | 10 years | Electronically or paper-based records |
02Which Receipts Must Be Retained?
The retention obligation covers more than just invoices. In principle, you must retain all documents relevant to bookkeeping and tax assessment — whether you keep double-entry books or a simple income-expense statement. These include:
- Outgoing invoices: All invoices you have issued to clients
- Incoming invoices: Invoices from suppliers, service providers, landlords, etc.
- Receipts and till slips: For cash payments (office supplies, business meals, travel expenses, etc.)
- Bank documents: Account statements, payment confirmations, e-banking receipts
- Payroll records: If you employ staff
- Contracts: Rental agreements, insurance policies, leasing agreements, client contracts
- Correspondence: Business-relevant emails, letters, quotations, order confirmations
- Annual financial statements: Balance sheet, income statement or income-expense statement
- Tax returns: Filed tax returns and assessment notices
- VAT settlements: Filed VAT forms and associated calculations
03Physical vs. Digital: What Applies?
The good news: Swiss law permits the digital retention of receipts. You do not have to store folders full of paper for 10 years. The Accounting Records Ordinance (GeBüV) regulates the requirements for electronic archiving.
In principle: Receipts may be stored on the same or an equivalent information medium. In concrete terms, this means:
| Receipt Type | Original | Digital Retention Permitted? |
|---|---|---|
| Paper invoice | Physical | Yes — scan/photo suffices, original may be destroyed |
| PDF invoice by email | Digital | Yes — retain the PDF, no printout needed |
| Till slip (thermal paper) | Physical | Yes — even recommended, as thermal paper fades |
| Bank receipt (e-banking) | Digital | Yes — download and retain as PDF |
| Contract (handwritten signature) | Physical | Yes — but original recommended for important contracts |
04Requirements for Digital Archiving
The GeBüV sets clear requirements for electronic storage. Not every form of storage is permissible. The four most important criteria:
- Integrity (immutability): Stored receipts must not be modifiable after the fact. A simple photo in the gallery is technically sufficient — but a structured filing in a bookkeeping tool or dedicated archive is better demonstrable
- Availability (readability): Receipts must be viewable and readable within a reasonable timeframe. Common formats such as PDF, JPEG or PNG are accepted. Proprietary formats that require special software are risky
- Order (traceability): Receipts must be systematically organised and assignable to the respective bookings. A clear naming structure (e.g. 2026-03-02_Digitec_Laptop_1299.pdf) facilitates assignment
- Protection against data loss: You must ensure that data is not lost — through backups, redundant storage or cloud services with appropriate data security
In practice, this means: A cloud-based bookkeeping tool that systematically stores receipts and links them to bookings meets all GeBüV requirements. An unstructured folder on the desktop is risky — not because of legality, but because of traceability during an audit.
05What Happens with Missing Receipts?
Missing receipts can have serious consequences during a tax audit (book audit or tax revision). The tax authorities audit on a sample basis or upon suspicion — and expect a corresponding receipt for every declared expense.
The following consequences can result from missing receipts:
- Deductions are disallowed: Business costs without receipts are not recognised. Your taxable profit is adjusted upward accordingly — and you pay more taxes
- Discretionary assessment: If significant parts of your bookkeeping are undocumented, the tax authority can make a discretionary assessment. In doing so, it estimates your income — often to your disadvantage
- VAT input tax deduction is refused: Without a correct invoice (with VAT disclosure), no input tax deduction. The FTA is particularly strict on this point
- Administrative fines: Gross violations of the retention obligation can be punished with fines (Art. 325 StGB: Improper management of business records)
- Back payments and interest: If deductions are corrected retrospectively, late payment interest applies to the tax back payment (depending on the canton 3–5% per year)
06Practical Tips for Receipt Organisation
Good receipt organisation saves you hours on the tax return and protects you during audits. Here are the most proven methods for self-employed persons:
Photograph or scan every receipt on the day you receive it. Till slips on thermal paper fade — digitally they remain readable for 10 years. Your smartphone camera is sufficient for this.
Use a consistent naming convention: e.g. '2026-03-02_Digitec_Laptop_1299.pdf'. This way you can find any receipt immediately — even after years.
Create folders for the most important categories: Income, office supplies, software, travel, insurance, etc. This facilitates assignment and preparing the tax return.
Ideally, each receipt is directly linked to the corresponding booking in your bookkeeping. This way you can immediately show during an audit which receipt belongs to which expense.
Back up your receipts in at least two locations — e.g. cloud + external hard drive. A data loss after 8 years would be fatal when the tax authority still has 2 years of inspection rights.
07Checklist: Receipt Retention for Self-Employed
Use this checklist to ensure you meet all receipt retention requirements:
- All income receipts (invoices to clients) retained
- All expense receipts (supplier invoices, receipts, till slips) retained
- Account statements / e-banking receipts downloaded and secured
- Contracts (rental, insurance, leasing) archived
- VAT settlements and receipts kept separately (if VAT-liable)
- Till slips on thermal paper digitised immediately
- Receipts systematically named and categorised
- Receipts linked to corresponding bookings
- Backup in a second location available (cloud, external hard drive)
- 10-year retention period observed (nothing deleted prematurely)
Anyone who consistently follows this checklist is prepared for any tax audit and saves themselves a lot of effort at year-end when preparing the tax return. More tips can be found in our year-end closing checklist.