1. What you'll learn from this tutorial

Accountex is the Swiss cloud accounting software designed for SMEs, sole traders and fiduciaries. This tutorial walks you through every feature of the web app — from account registration to your first balance sheet, from first invoice to quarterly VAT return — with operational instructions and clickable paths.

The guide is aimed at users of a "Company" organization (owner and collaborator roles). If you are a fiduciary onboarding a client, use it as a checklist for the initial setup session.

Tutorial objectives

Complete company onboarding in under 15 minutes (account, 2FA, organization data, chart of accounts).
Issue your first Swiss QR-invoice, account it and reconcile it with the bank statement.
Manage expenses with automatic OCR, bulk scanner and document classification rules.
Generate an AFC VAT declaration (effective or flat-rate) with PDF and compliant XML export.
Produce balance sheet, income statement, aging report and subsidiary ledger exported to PDF.
Configure collaborators, API keys, GDPR/nLPD privacy and connect an external fiduciary.

Structure of the guide

The guide is organized into 9 thematic chapters plus this introduction. Every chapter follows the same pattern: purpose, path in the app, numbered operational steps, warnings and tips. You can read it from start to finish on first access, or use it as a quick reference manual via the sidebar table of contents.

Convention: paths in backticks (e.g. /invoices) are application URLs. URLs are localized as /[locale]/... (e.g. /en/invoices); the locale part is omitted in the tutorial for clarity.

2. First access, security and company onboarding

In a few minutes you create your account, enable 2FA, register the company and get familiar with the interface. This chapter covers sections 1, 2 and 3 of the operational manual.

Register with email and password

Create your Accountex account from /auth/register

Open the browser and go to the platform. Click Sign up.
Fill in First name, Last name, Email and Password (minimum 8 characters). Accept terms and privacy.
Click Create account. Check your inbox: you'll receive a message from Brevo with a verification link.
Click the link: you'll be redirected to the platform with automatic login and redirect to /onboard.
If you don't receive the email within 1-2 minutes, check spam and use Resend email. You can't register two accounts with the same email.

Register or sign in with Google

Alternatively click Sign in with Google from the page and select the account in the consent screen. On first access you'll be taken to /onboard to create the organization. /auth

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Protect account access from /settings/security

Click Enable 2FA, scan the QR code with Google Authenticator, Authy or 1Password, enter the TOTP code and confirm. Download and store the backup codes in a safe place: you'll need them if you lose the device.

Create the company organization

On first access with verified account you are redirected to /onboard

Select Company as organization type.
Fill in Legal name, Legal form (SA, Sagl, sole proprietorship), Industry, Fiscal year with start and end dates.
Enter Address, ZIP code (minimum 4 digits), Canton, IBAN and Bank.
Optional: upload Logo (max 2 MB, JPG/PNG) and customize invoice and reminder prefixes.
Click Create organization.
The system generates the default Swiss chart of accounts, creates a Free subscription, marks the user as onboarded and redirects to dashboard.

If someone has already invited you as a collaborator you'll see the Pending invitations list. Click Accept to enter an existing organization with collaborator role, or create your own company normally.

Getting around the interface

The dashboard (/) is organized in sidebar, header and main area. Key sections are reachable in one click.

Left sidebar — main navigation: Dashboard, Invoices, Expenses, Banking, Reports, Settings.
Header — organization switcher (multi-org), global search, notifications and user menu.
Fiscal Year Switcher — select the accounting fiscal year context: reports, new entries and VAT declarations use the active year.
Command palette — press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux) to search cross-entity or trigger quick actions like New invoice.
Notifications panel — the bell in header shows real-time notifications (Socket.IO): mark as read individually or all at once.
Language switcher (EN/IT/DE/FR) and Chat FAB at bottom right to talk with your fiduciary if connected.

The dashboard displays contextual banners when attention is needed: pending collaborator invitations, pending fiduciary invitations, rejected associations. Click Dismiss to remove banners that aren't relevant.

3. Chart of accounts and fiscal years

The chart of accounts is the backbone of your accounting. Accountex generates it automatically with the Swiss SME standard at the end of onboarding, but you can customize it for your industry. This chapter covers sections 4 and 5 of the manual.

View and customize the chart of accounts

The chart of accounts is available from /chart-of-accounts

Accounts are shown in a hierarchical tree grouped by type: Assets, Liabilities, Revenue, Expenses.
Each row shows code, name, type and running balance.
Expand parent accounts by clicking the arrow to view children.
Click on an account row to open the account ledger with transaction list and running balance.
From the detail view you can export the account ledger to PDF (endpoint /api/reports/account-ledger/pdf).
Drag accounts to reorder or move them under a new parent (drag & drop).

Create a new account

If your industry requires specific accounts you can add them at any time.

Click New account from the list.
Enter Code (e.g. 4400), Name, Type (asset, liability, revenue, expense).
Set Group and optionally Parent account for hierarchy.
Click Create. The account is immediately available in entry selectors.
An account with transactions can't be deleted: use Deactivate to hide it from new entries while keeping history.

To import opening balances from a previous system use the Data migration wizard (/tools/data-migration) which has a dedicated step. CSV import of the chart of accounts is available via Import CSV with a downloadable template.

Document rules and automatic classification

In addition to OCR scanner rules, you can define generic document classification rules tied to the chart of accounts. Set priority, condition (category, keyword, supplier) and action (assign account, VAT rate, tag). Click Apply rules to reprocess existing documents retroactively.

Manage fiscal years

Each accounting year is a separate fiscal year, managed from /fiscal-years

Click New fiscal year and enter Name (e.g. 2026), Start date and End date.
The current year is highlighted. Use the Fiscal Year Switcher in header to change context in reports.
You can have multiple open fiscal years simultaneously to handle cross-period entries.
A closed year remains viewable for history but doesn't accept new entries.

Close a fiscal year

Closing is a guided multi-step process that checks data integrity before freezing the fiscal year.

Select the year and click Closing preview: review opening accounts, net result and suggested entries.
Click Preview with adjustments to add year-end entries (accruals, deferrals, depreciation).
Download the Pre-closing report (/api/reports/pre-closing/pdf) listing draft entries, unreconciled accounts and anomalies. Fix issues before proceeding.
Click Close fiscal year: status becomes closed, opening balances are auto-generated for the next year and you can no longer create entries in the closed year.

Use the Fiscal Year Switcher to quickly compare different periods or review closed years without switching organization. Reports (Balance sheet, P&L, Trial balance, Subsidiary ledger, Aging) always follow the active fiscal year.

4. Invoicing: clients, invoices, credit notes and reminders

The sales section is the daily operational core: issue Swiss QR-invoices, manage credit notes, recurring invoices, line templates, cost centers and payment reminders. This chapter covers sections 6-13 of the manual.

Client master data

Manage your client directory from /clients

Click New client from the list.
Fill in Legal name, Address, ZIP/City, Email and VAT number if applicable.
Click Create. The client is immediately available in invoice selectors.
Use the search bar at the top to filter by name, VAT ID or email. A client with linked invoices can't be deleted: edit or deactivate it.

Issue an invoice

Invoices follow a draft → sent → accounted → paid flow, managed from /invoices

Click New invoice. Select the Client (or create one on the fly).
Set Issue date and Due date.
Add Lines: Description, Quantity, Unit price, Revenue account, VAT rate (7.7%, 2.5%, 3.7% or exempt).
Optional: select foreign Currency (FX rates are applied at posting) and associate a Cost center.
The system auto-calculates subtotal, VAT per rate and total. The number is sequential per fiscal year with the prefix defined in settings.
Click Save as draft, then Send to deliver it to the client, Account to generate entries (accounts 1100 receivables, revenues, 2170 VAT payable), Mark as paid on receipt of payment.

Invoice statuses

Status	What it means
Draft	Invoice created but not yet sent. You can edit or delete it freely.
Sent	Invoice delivered to client via PDF or email. Not accounted.
Accounted	Journal entries generated on receivables, revenues and VAT. Reverse before deleting.
Paid	Payment recorded, matched with the bank transaction.
Cancelled	Invoice cancelled. If it was accounted, the system creates an automatic reversal.

Credit notes

To fully or partially reverse an invoice click New credit note in /invoices or go directly to /invoices/new/credit-note

Recurring invoices

For subscriptions or recurring fees create a recurring template with frequency (monthly, quarterly, annual) and next issue date. Invoices are auto-generated as drafts via cron with a recurring_invoice_generated notification. Path: /invoices/recurring

Invoice line templates

Speed up recurring creation by saving line templates (description, amount, revenue account, VAT rate). During invoice creation click Insert from template. Path: /invoices/templates

Cost centers and allocation

Configure cost centers to analyze margins by project, department or business line. Available on invoices, expenses, entries and budgets. Automatic allocation rules in /invoices/cost-centers with simulation before execution. Path: /invoices/cost-centers

Default accounts for sales invoices are 1100 (Trade receivables), revenue accounts 3xxx from the SME plan and 2170 (VAT payable). You can override the defaults on each line during creation.

Payment reminders

Recover overdue receivables with progressive 3-level reminders, managed from /reminders

Click New reminder. From the list of overdue invoices select those to chase.
Choose the Level (1, 2 or 3). Interest and fees are auto-calculated from organization settings.
Save: the system creates the reminder in /reminders/[id] with a sequential number.
Click Download PDF (/api/reminders/pdf) or Send via email to the client.
Use Generate in batch to create multiple reminders in one go. The cron /api/cron/payment-reminders can auto-escalate 1 → 2 → 3 if enabled.

General journal

For manual journal entries (e.g. depreciation, accruals, reclassifications) use the journal in /journal

Click New entry. Enter Date and Description.
Add at least two lines (Debit/Credit) selecting Account and Amount. The system validates total debit = total credit.
Optional: associate lines to a Cost center or link the entry to an invoice, expense, bank transaction or fixed asset.
Save as draft. To post it click Post: status posted, sequential number assigned.
To reverse a posted entry click Reverse: a linked reverse entry is created. Recurring entries in /journal/recurring (cron /api/cron/recurring).

Tip: use recurring entries for fixed depreciation, leasing accruals or insurance fees. Set frequency and next date: the system generates the entry as draft each cycle, you review and post it.

5. Expenses, suppliers, OCR and document archive

Accountex automates expense management with integrated AWS Textract OCR, multi-document bulk scanner, supplier rules and certified archiving with TSA timestamp seal. This chapter covers sections 14-17 of the manual.

Record an expense manually

To enter expenses without OCR or for specific corrections use the form in /expenses

Click New expense.
Fill in Supplier (or create one on the fly), Date, Amount, Expense account, VAT rate.
Optional: upload Attachment (S3 upload, max 10 MB) and associate a Cost center.
Save. The number is sequential. Click Post to generate the entry on cost account and recoverable VAT.
On payment click Mark as paid: the To pay list updates automatically.

Automatic OCR and bulk scanner

The AWS Textract OCR engine is integrated in the expense form and in the bulk scanner /tools/bulk-scanner

Upload a JPEG, PNG, TIFF or PDF document (max 10 MB). PDFs are converted to PNG client-side before OCR.
The system extracts: Supplier, Date, Amount, VAT, Description. Suggested accounts come from your chart of accounts.
Confirm proposed values or edit them, then Save. Each scan increments plan OCR usage (429 error if exceeded).
In /tools/bulk-scanner upload multiple documents: pending → processing → completed. For each item review data and click Confirm to create expense or invoice.
In /tools/scanner-rules create automatic rules: e.g. "if supplier contains Swisscom set account 6500 and VAT 7.7%". Rules apply in priority order.

Scanner rules are applied in runRulePipeline during every OCR. Drag to reorder them: the first that matches wins. Also use expense rules by supplier (/suppliers) to auto-assign default accounts.

Bulk expense upload

To process large volumes (e.g. a month's worth of receipts) go to /expenses/bulk

Supplier master data

Manage suppliers with IBAN, cash discounts and default account rules from /suppliers

Document archive and integrity

All uploaded documents (expenses, received invoices, other) are archived in /documents

SHA-256 hash computed on every document to guarantee integrity.
RSA-PSS digital signature for authenticity.
TSA timestamp (certified time marking) as proof of date.
Configurable retention policy (retentionUntil). Verify integrity button to recheck hash and signature anytime.

Documents stored with SHA-256 + RSA-PSS + TSA seal meet Swiss digital archiving requirements (OLRI). Use Seal existing to batch-process legacy documents not yet sealed.

6. Banking and reconciliation

Accountex auto-reconciles bank transactions with invoices and expenses, removing manual work. Import the statement in CAMT, CSV or Excel once: the system learns the column mapping. This chapter covers section 18 of the manual.

Bank statement import

Import bank statements from /tools/bank-statement-import

Click New import. Upload the file (CSV, Excel or CAMT ISO 20022).
On first upload configure Column mapping (BankAccountMapping) pointing to date, amount, description, reference.
Save the mapping: it's reused on future imports from the same bank.
Review the transaction preview and exclude any irrelevant rows.
Confirm: the system creates a BankStatement with parsed BankTransaction entries. Open /tools/bank-statement-import/[id] to review previous imports.

Automatic reconciliation

From dashboard or the banking section click Unreconciled transactions → Auto match. The system searches matching invoices and expenses by amount, date and client/supplier. Review suggestions and click Confirm to accept them in bulk or individually.

Manual reconciliation

For transactions not auto-matched select one and click Reconcile with document. Choose the invoice or expense to pair, confirm. The system records payment and updates the document status.

Actions on a single transaction

Beyond matching, each transaction has four direct actions that create or update related data.

Create expense from transaction — pre-fills an expense with transaction date, amount and description.
Record payment — marks a selectable invoice or expense as paid.
Create manual entry — opens a journal entry already linked to the transaction.
Ignore — exclude the transaction from future suggestions (internal movements, already-recorded transfers).

The match cron periodically rechecks transactions: ignored ones shouldn't be reconciled. Imported and reconciled transactions feed the dashboard KPIs directly (bank balance, operating cash flow).

7. VAT, cantonal taxes, fixed assets and budget

This chapter groups tax and planning features: AFC VAT declaration, cantonal taxes, fixed assets with depreciation and monthly budgets. Covers sections 19-22 of the manual.

AFC VAT declaration

Generate the quarterly or semi-annual VAT return in effective or flat-rate mode from /vat/afc-declaration

Click New declaration.
Select Period (quarter or semester) and VAT Method (effective or flat-rate, configured in Organization settings).
Click Generate: the system computes totals per rate (7.7%, 2.5%, 3.7%) with compliant eCH data.
Review the declaration. Export to PDF (/api/vat/declaration/pdf) or AFC-compliant XML (/api/vat/declaration/xml).
After submitting to AFC open the declaration and click Mark as submitted. Keep PDF and XML as proof.

For a quick VAT summary without generating the official declaration use /reports/vat-report: select period and see taxable totals and VAT per rate. Useful for monthly internal checks.

Cantonal taxes (coming soon)

The cantonal tax declaration page is currently in preparation. In the meantime generate Income statement (/reports/income-statement) and Balance sheet (/reports/balance-sheet) for the fiscal year, export them to PDF and forward to your fiduciary or canton via chat or document request.

Fixed assets and depreciation

Manage the fixed asset register with categories, depreciation method and automatic schedules from /assets

In /assets/categories create New category with Name, Method (straight-line or declining), Rate, Accounts (asset, fund, depreciation cost).
In /assets click New asset. Fill in Description, Purchase value, Purchase date, Category, Method.
From the detail click Depreciation preview for the period, then Post depreciation to record it.
Use Post period depreciation to process all assets in batch.
On sale or disposal click Dispose: enter date and salvage value. The system generates the disposal entry.

Budget and actual comparison

Plan the annual budget per account and cost center in /budget. Create a New budget linked to the fiscal year, add lines with monthly amounts and compare budget vs actual with getComparison (variance per account). Export to PDF. Path: /budget

Use the fixed asset Depreciation plan for a full calendar of future depreciation per year: useful for the business plan or to show the fiduciary the impact of investments.

8. Accounting reports and data export

All reports are generated on-demand and exportable to PDF. Use them for internal control, fiduciary requests, audit or review. This chapter covers sections 23-24 of the manual.

Report	Path	Purpose
Balance sheet	`/reports/balance-sheet`	Statement of financial position at a date or period: verify Assets = Liabilities + Equity.
Income statement	`/reports/income-statement`	Revenue, costs and net result for the selected period.
Trial balance	`/reports/trial-balance`	Debit/credit balances for every account with totals check.
Aging report	`/reports/aging`	Receivables and payables grouped by 0-30, 31-60, 61-90, >90 days buckets.
Currency report	`/reports/currency`	Foreign currency positions with exchange rates and FX exposure.
Financial notes	`/reports/financial-notes`	Valuation criteria, significant events and attachments to the balance sheet.
Cost center analytics	`/reports/cost-center-analytics`	Summary, transaction detail, budget vs actual per cost center.
Subsidiary ledger	`/reports/subsidiary-ledger`	Detailed movements per account with running balances. Key tool for reviews.

Accounting export for other software

To send the journal to your reviewer, fiduciary or to migrate to another system, export the file in Abacus, Banana, DATEV or generic CSV format. Choose period and format, the file is downloaded. Path: /tools/accounting-export

Each report has a dedicated PDF endpoint (e.g. /api/reports/balance-sheet/pdf) with a professional layout ready to attach to declarations or hand over to the fiduciary. The Subsidiary ledger is the most requested tool for reviews and AFC checks.

9. SEPA, data migration and consolidation

Advanced features cover SEPA payments, migration from previous systems and multi-entity consolidation.

SEPA payment planning (pain.001)

Automate supplier payments by generating pain.001 SEPA XML files to upload to online banking. Path: /tools/payment-planning

Click New proposal. Select Value date and criteria (invoices/expenses due within N days).
The system generates a proposal with amounts and beneficiaries. Open it and use Include/Exclude per item.
Check totals and click Approve → Execute payments: the pain.001 SEPA XML file is generated for download.
Upload the file to your bank's online banking to execute the bulk transfers. The system creates a PaymentBatch tracking the items.

Data migration from another software

The guided wizard imports clients, suppliers, opening balances, open invoices and bank movements from DATEV, Banana, Abacus or generic CSV. Format detection is automatic (detectFormat), you can download CSV templates for corrections and resume the migration later. Path: /tools/data-migration

Multi-entity consolidation

If you manage a group of related companies, you can generate consolidated balance sheet and income statement with intercompany eliminations. Path: /consolidation

Create a group in /consolidation/new with presentation currency and parent organization.
Add members with method (full, equity, proportional), ownership and functional currency.
Account mapping local → group account with Auto-map and manual fixes.
Intercompany rules with account patterns and automatic reconciliation of mutual balances.
Export consolidated balance sheet and P&L to PDF, historical snapshots for periodic comparison.

Data migration is the fastest way to start from a previous system without rebuilding history manually. Each step (clients, suppliers, balances, open invoices, banking) has CSV validation with preview: fix row-level errors before importing.

10. Settings, collaborators, billing and fiduciary

The last chapter covers all configurations: profile, collaborators, subscription, privacy, API, audit log, fiduciary interaction and troubleshooting FAQs. Covers sections 29-38 of the manual.

User profile and security

View and edit your profile (name, email, picture, creation date). Email is not editable. Configure 2FA and password change in /settings/security. Path: /settings/profile

Manage collaborators

Invite team members to collaborate in the organization. Click Invite collaborator, enter email, the system sends the invitation. Pending invitations can be managed with Cancel invitation; active collaborators can be removed at any time. The limit depends on the plan. Path: /settings/collaborators

Subscription and Stripe billing

View your current plan (Free, Full), limits (OCR/month, storage, collaborators) and change plan via Stripe checkout. In /settings/billing you'll find the Stripe invoice history with PDF download. Path: /settings/subscription

Privacy, GDPR and nLPD

Manage consents (DataConsent), request data deletion (right to be forgotten), export your data (portability). The processing register (Art. 30 GDPR / Art. 12 nLPD) is available in /settings/privacy/registro-trattamenti. Path: /settings/privacy

API keys and webhooks

Generate API keys with specific scopes (invoices:read, expenses:write) for external integrations. Configure webhooks with URL, events (invoice.*, expense.*, etc.) and HMAC secret. Test the webhook with Send test button (test.ping). Path: /settings/api

Audit log

All mutations (create, update, delete) are tracked in the audit log. Filter by user, action, date or entity; open an entry to view the before/after diff. Sensitive keys (passwords, tokens) are sanitized. Path: /audit-log

Connect a fiduciary

If your company is supported by a fiduciary you can connect in two ways: via email invitation or via association code.

If you receive an invitation email click the link, sign in (or register) and confirm the association.
If the fiduciary provides a FID-... code go to /settings or the dashboard banner, click Connect fiduciary, enter the code and click Request association.
Once associated click the chat FAB at bottom right to communicate in real-time (WebSocket) and respond to document requests.
To remove the fiduciary go to /settings Fiduciary tab and click Remove fiduciary: they lose access to your organization data.

The fiduciary can send you document requests: you receive a document_request_pending notification + email, open the request, upload required documents. Even without an account, via public link /r/[token], you can upload documents respecting file type and size. All documents are auto-sealed.

FAQ and troubleshooting

Common issues and quick solutions. For direct support click Support in header or sidebar: opens an internal ticket with file attachment option.

Issue	Solution
I'm not receiving the verification email	Check spam, then use Resend email from /auth/register or the login screen.
I exceeded the OCR limit (429 error)	Go to /settings/subscription and upgrade, or wait for the next billing cycle.
Invoice accounted by mistake	Open the invoice → Cancel: the system auto-creates the reversal. Alternatively Delete: runs reversal before soft delete.
I can't close the fiscal year	Run the Pre-closing report in /fiscal-years: it lists draft entries and unreconciled accounts to fix.
I lost my 2FA device	Use one of the backup codes downloaded at setup. If you lost them too, contact support for reset after identity verification.

Simplify your Swiss accounting

AccountEX handles VAT, QR-invoices and bookings with AI. Start for free.

Start Free