Electronic archiving of accounting documents

In times of home office and virtual meetings, as well as with the idea of saving paper and protecting our environment, the question of storing accounting documents in digital form should no longer be a question. The Code of Obligations (OR) and the Commercial Book Ordinance (GeBüV) have already allowed the digital storage of documents in Switzerland for some time, yet there are some points to consider.

In addition to the general principles of proper bookkeeping such as evidence of individual booking transactions, clarity, appropriateness, or verifiability, further principles must be considered in electronic document storage. The principles of proper data processing are relevant here.

First, integrity must be ensured. This means that the authenticity and immutability of the documents must be guaranteed. The documents must be saved in such a way that they cannot be changed, or that changes can be detected and documented. We recommend the use of software that guarantees audit-proofing. A motion is currently before the Federal Council, which is intended to significantly facilitate the digitization of bookkeeping and, in particular, the digital storage of receipts in the future.

Furthermore, availability must be ensured. Business books must be available for inspection and review within a useful period and be readable without additional aids.

Within an organization, it should also be clearly regulated and documented who is responsible for archiving information. The media must be regularly checked for integrity and readability.

There are additional requirements, including in the annual report or the audit report. For electronic storage to be sufficient in these cases, a qualified electronic signature is required. A simple signature from a PDF software is not sufficient. If the qualified signature is not provided, a manually signed copy must still be retained.