The First Invoice – What To Consider

The First Invoice – What To Consider

After a long start-up process, it is finally time for your first order – and your first invoice. What do you need to bear in mind? What should it contain? What should it look like? We will answer these questions in the following article.

Is it time for your first invoice? Congratulations! Take a moment at this point to pat yourself on the back. The first invoice is special, the result of years of effort and labour. You must be happy about that.

Maybe you are also a little nervous. How do you create an invoice? What information must appear on it? Or: Does it even matter what an invoice looks like? We can reassure you: Find compiled the answers to these questions here.

Why is invoicing so important?

Invoicing is part of every company – nothing would work without it. Anyone who provides a product or service naturally expects financial compensation in return. The aim of invoicing is to record in writing what services you have provided and whether you have been paid for them. If you want to be compensated on time and accurately for your work, you need to write good invoices. 

In addition, the Federal Government imposes precise content and formal requirements for invoicing. The fulfilment of these requirements enables input tax deduction. The responsibility lies with the invoice recipient. If an invoice is not issued correctly, you risk having to reclaim the input tax. So, make sure that the invoices you receive from suppliers contain all the necessary information.

Contents

A correct invoice must contain certain information, which may vary depending on the type of company. Special regulations apply to small businesses that must be observed.

The following information should appear on your invoice:

1. Name, address and VAT number of the supplier. The VAT number consists of the company identification number (UID) with the suffix “MWST”. It would look something like this: CHE-123.456.789MWST. The UID can be found online in the Central Business Name Index.
2. Name and address of the recipient.
3. The invoice number is not mandatory, but definitely recommended.
4. Date of delivery or provision of service. If this date is the same as the invoice date, skip this step.
5. A detailed description of the product or service.
6. The price of the product or service.
7. The applicable VAT rate and VAT amount if the latter is not already included in the price. Please note that new VAT rates have applied since 1 January 2024. Do you need a refresher? Find a summary the most important points in another article.
8. The necessary bank details – IBAN and (mandatory since the end of 2022) a QR payment slip.
9. Ideally, information on the terms of payment should also appear on the invoice.
10. The signature. This is intended to prove the authenticity of the transmitted data.

Further information on invoices and their contents can be found on the Federal SME Portal.

Design

In addition to the content, the appearance of the invoice should not be neglected. An attractive invoice design with logo can emphasise the professionalism of the invoice and strengthen the brand image. A clear structure and a professional layout ensure that your invoice is clear and appealing.

Choosing the right invoice template is crucial in order not to forget the required information. There are many templates online that can be customised to meet the needs of your business. Certain software solutions are also particularly suitable for proper invoicing. By using specialised invoicing software, errors can be avoided, and invoicing can be made more efficient. The Atlanto accounting software, for example, offers functions that make it easier to create and manage invoices. It also allows you to customise the design of your invoices.

 Distribution

When sending the first invoice, it is important to clearly communicate payment deadlines so that the invoice recipient is aware of the due date. Choosing the right dispatch route and observing dispatch deadlines can help to ensure that the invoice reaches the recipient on time. Electronic dispatch methods such as e-mail are fast and cost-efficient. When sending invoices by post, the necessary measures should be taken to ensure that the invoice reaches the recipient on time. It is advisable to set payment terms that are reasonable and in line with the terms and conditions.

Overview

You should always keep invoices and receipts for a certain period of time in order to be prepared for any queries from the tax office. Careful documentation of all payment transactions is also crucial for transparent accounting. Atlanto’s document scanner is the perfect tool for storing documents such as invoices. The interface to the Sales and Accounting module allows quick and easy postings.

Especially with a large number of invoices, it is important to keep an overview and track open items promptly. Atlanto supports you and simplifies the management of invoices. Our tool allows you to track outstanding invoices and payment deadlines and is helpful for monitoring incoming payments and sending reminders if necessary.

Summarising

An invoice must be prepared with care and caution. There is a lot to consider, but it is not very difficult. However, you are in good hands with the instructions in this article. In addition, Atlanto can definitely simplify the task for you. With the business software, you can store invoices and receipts quickly and easily. You also do not have to worry about whether or not you have inserted the necessary information, Atlanto will remind you of everything. If you have already created an offer, it only takes a few seconds to create an invoice from it. You can see: It is definitely worth consulting Atlanto for the first invoice.