Developer of business software, websites and apps for Ticino companies

What changes for a Ticino company

Software written for Italy doesn't work as it is. In Switzerland, the things that touch every document change:

• the QR-bill, with its code and structured address;
• Swiss VAT, with rates of 8.1%, 3.8% and 2.6%;
• amounts in francs, often rounded to 5 centimes, and sometimes in euros too for exporters;
• several languages, if you have customers north of the Alps;
• the FADP, for customer data and website forms.

I have written a page on each of these, in the Rules to comply with in Switzerland section. I would start from the QR-bill and the FADP on your website. If you also sell online in the EU, read Swiss shop with EU customers.

Real work for a Swiss company

AREAVISION brings electronic shelf labels into shops. For them I built the website, business software that receives each shop's price files over FTP and sends them to the labels, and an app for shop staff, which also runs on handhelds with a scanner. Every night the software counts each shop's labels and sends an email if a process gets stuck.

How VAT works

I invoice with my Italian VAT number, so to you I am a foreign supplier. Switzerland has an acquisition tax: according to the Federal Tax Administration, those on the VAT register declare services bought abroad, and those not registered pay only if they buy more than 10,000 francs of such services in a year. Ask your fiduciary to confirm your case: it is often one line in the return.

What I can do for you

• Web apps to replace spreadsheets or old programs, including for one specific job;
• websites and online shops;
• apps and PWAs for people working outside the office;
• servers and hosting and maintenance, with 24/7 on-call on request;
• the technical side of cyberattack reporting and pay equality with Logib.

The analysis is free. Large projects are split into milestones, paid one at a time. If a project needs a supplier based in Switzerland, for instance for a public tender, I will tell you straight away: I am not one.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Swiss company work with an Italian supplier?

Yes, and AREAVISION does. I invoice with my Italian VAT number. For the Swiss VAT side, what is explained above applies: your fiduciary can confirm your own case.

Can customer data be stored in Italy or the EU?

Italy and the other EU states are on the list of countries with adequate protection under Swiss data law, so the transfer is allowed without extra safeguards. It still has to be stated in your data protection notice.

Do you work in German or French?

I write and speak Italian and English. Software or a website can have several languages, with texts translated by professionals. For now my own site has no German or French pages.

When can I reach you?

Monday to Saturday, 9 to 19, same time zone. Clients with 24/7 on-call can phone me at any hour.

If you are in Ticino or elsewhere in Switzerland

I work from Rovellasca, near Como, between Milan and the Swiss border, and part-time at a communication agency in Switzerland. For a Swiss company I built the AREAVISION website, business app and mobile app.

Read more

• The service: Custom business web apps
• Work of this kind: AREAVISION: website, back office and app
• More pages like this: Where I work