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Gäld for Freelancers

This guide walks you through Gäld as a Swiss freelancer or sole trader (indépendant / Selbständigerwerbende). Follow the steps in order the first time; after that, the monthly and annual routines become second nature.

Who is this guide for?

Freelancers and sole traders registered in Switzerland — whether registered for VAT or not. Most steps apply from the first CHF of revenue.

1. Initial setup (once)​

Set up your organisation​

  • Go through the Setup Wizard when you first log in
  • Choose the Freelancer chart of accounts template — it includes the accounts most relevant to sole traders
  • Enter your IBAN for QR-Bill generation
  • Configure your VAT status (Settings → Organisation → VAT):
    • If your revenue is below CHF 100,000 per year: select Not registered (exempt)
    • If you have crossed CHF 100,000 or opted in voluntarily: select Quarterly or Annual settlement

See Getting Started for installation or SaaS sign-up.

Add your first contact​

Before you can invoice, add your first customer. Go to Contacts → New Contact and fill in the company name, address, and email.

See Contacts for bulk import and managing multiple contacts.

2. Monthly routine​

Issue invoices​

Every time you complete work for a client:

  1. Go to Invoices → New Invoice
  2. Select the customer, add line items, set VAT rate
  3. Finalize the invoice — this generates the QR-Bill PDF and posts the entry to the ledger
  4. Download and send the PDF to your customer

See Invoices for the full lifecycle.

Set up recurring invoices (for retainer clients)​

If you bill a client the same amount every month:

  1. Go to Invoices → Recurring → New Recurring Invoice
  2. Set frequency to Monthly and enable Auto-finalize
  3. Gäld generates and posts the invoice automatically each month

See Recurring Invoices for setup details.

Import and reconcile your bank statement​

Once a month (or more often):

  1. Go to Banking → Import and upload your CAMT.053 file from your bank
  2. Review matched and unmatched transactions in Banking → Reconciliation
  3. Match unmatched transactions to invoices, expenses, or journals

See Banking for step-by-step reconciliation.

Record expenses​

For every business purchase (software subscriptions, office supplies, phone bill):

  1. Go to Expenses → New Expense
  2. Attach the receipt photo or PDF
  3. Post the expense to the appropriate account

Keep receipts for 10 years — Swiss law requires it (Swiss Code of Obligations (CO) Art. 958f ↗).

See Expenses.

Follow up on overdue invoices​

  • Check Reports → Aging to see which clients are overdue
  • Click any amount to see the invoices, then click Send Reminder
  • Use Level 1 → Level 2 → Level 3 escalation sequence

See Aging Report and Payment Reminders.

3. Quarterly routine (if VAT registered)​

At the end of each quarter:

  1. Go to Reports → VAT Report
  2. Select the quarter
  3. Review output VAT (Umsatzsteuer) and input VAT (Vorsteuer)
  4. File the declaration on the AFC/ESTV portal
  5. Post the settlement entry in Gäld

See VAT Report for the full filing walkthrough.

4. annual routine​

At the start of each year, set a revenue target and expense budget:

  1. Go to Budget → New Budget
  2. Enter monthly revenue and expense targets
  3. During the year, open Reports → Profit & Loss and toggle Show Budget to track variance

See Budget.

Social charges (AVS/ALV)​

Freelancers pay both the employee and employer share of AHV/IV/EO. Gäld's social charges calculator helps you estimate and record the contributions:

  • Go to Accounting → Social Charges
  • Enter your estimated annual revenue
  • Record the contribution payment as a journal entry

See Social Charges for 2025 rates and deadlines.

5. Year-end​

Follow the Year-End Checklist in order:

  1. Reconcile all bank accounts to zero unreconciled items
  2. Confirm all invoices are marked Paid or cancelled
  3. Post depreciation for any equipment you own — see Fixed Assets
  4. Record social charges
  5. File the final VAT declaration (if registered)
  6. Run Accounting → Year-End Closing
  7. Generate the Fiduciary Export for your accountant — see Fiduciary Export

Key pages at a glance​

TaskWhere in Gäld
Create invoiceInvoices → New Invoice
Set up recurring billingInvoices → Recurring
Send payment reminderFrom invoice or Reports → Aging
Import bank statementBanking → Import
Record expenseExpenses → New Expense
File VAT returnReports → VAT Report
Track social chargesAccounting → Social Charges
Year-end closingAccounting → Year-End Closing
Export for accountantAccounting → Fiduciary Export