Create your items and their prices

An item is a product or a service you invoice often: an hour of work, a part, a flat fee. It carries its price, its unit and its VAT. In a quote or an invoice, you just type its name.

The item list

In the menu, under Sales, open Items.

1. Add creates an item.
2. Import brings in your items from an Excel or CSV file or a bexio export.

The tabs separate Service items from Product items. The filter bar searches by name, code or description, and filters by Type, Price, VAT rate, Unit or Currency. The No VAT view lists the items at 0%. The VAT column gives the rate and says whether the price is excluding or including VAT, for example “8.1% (excl. VAT)” or “8.1% (incl. VAT)”.

Create an item

1. In Items, click Add.

2. Choose the Type: Product for goods, Service for a service.

3. Enter a short, unique Code, for example ATL-H, then the Name as it should appear on the invoice. The Description is printed under the name, if you enter one.

4. In Pricing information, enter the Price, the Currency and the Unit (h, pce, flat fee, m²…).

5. Enter the VAT rate (1): 8.1, 2.6 or 3.8. The price you enter is excluding VAT. Turn on Price VAT included if your price already includes VAT.

6. If the rate is 0, choose the VAT type (2): it says why the item has no VAT (see below).

7. Click Save.

   

If accounting is turned on, the Accounting section offers the Sales account. Leave it empty: sales go to the default account for goods or services. Choose an account if you track this turnover separately.

The VAT rates in force

Since 1 January 2024, the Swiss rates are 8.1% (standard), 2.6% (reduced) and 3.8% (accommodation). To Bill refuses an old rate, such as 7.7%, on a new item.

Items without VAT: the VAT type

An item at 0% must say why it has no VAT. This choice decides the box of the VAT return in which its turnover is declared. Without it, the line stays To classify and the VAT return cannot be filed.

VAT type	When to choose it	Box on the return
Exempt – export (art. 23)	Goods delivered abroad, other exempt supplies with the right to deduct input tax	220
Supply abroad	The place of supply is outside Switzerland, for example advice to a business established abroad	221
Notification procedure (art. 38)	Transfer of assets without VAT, notified with Form 764	225
Excluded – no input tax deduction (art. 21)	Healthcare, education, letting of real estate, insurance… without opting for VAT	230
Other deduction (box 280)	Value of the land, purchase price under margin taxation	280
Outside the scope of VAT (disbursements)	Costs paid in the client’s name and for the client’s account, re-invoiced separately (fee, official charge)	none

This type is copied onto every invoice line where you use the item. A business that is not registered for VAT does not see these fields.

Use an item in a quote or an invoice

In the Lines part of the editor, type two letters of the name in Item name...: To Bill suggests your items with their price. Choose one: the name, description, unit, price and VAT fill in. Adjust the quantity, then press Enter or click Add. See Create an invoice.

You can change the price or the description on the line: the saved item does not change.

Import your items

1. In Items, click Import.
2. Drop your file: CSV, XLS, XLSX or JSON.
3. Match the columns. The Code, the Name, the Type (PRODUCT or SERVICE) and the Price are required. The description, unit, currency, VAT rate and VAT included are optional.
4. Start the import.

Codes already in use

A code that already exists does not block the row: the item is created with a new code. Remove from your file the items already in To Bill. For a bexio export, see Import from bexio.

Legal basis

• VAT rates: Art. 25 VAT Act.
• Supplies excluded from the tax: Art. 21 VAT Act. Exempt supplies, including exports: Art. 23 VAT Act. Notification procedure: Art. 38 VAT Act.
• Disbursements, amounts received as reimbursement of costs incurred in the client’s name and for the client’s account and invoiced separately, are not part of the taxable amount: Art. 24 para. 6 let. b VAT Act.