A drawer full of fading receipts and a folder of invoices to sort at year-end can turn a simple expense record into hours of work. For a Czech sole trader (OSVČ), photographing documents as they arrive is an easier habit to maintain. This guide explains how phone uploads and AI recognition work in Taxorio, what to check before saving an expense, and what makes a digital copy useful as evidence.
Why paper receipts need a backup
Thermal receipts fade
Many shops and restaurants print receipts on thermal paper. Heat, sunlight and moisture can make the text fade. An unreadable receipt cannot establish what you bought, from whom or for how much. A clear digital copy made while the text is still legible protects information that may later disappear from the paper.
Receipts get lost or damaged
Small slips fall out of wallets, get thrown away with other paper or become damaged in a pocket. Losing a receipt makes an expense harder to substantiate. If that happens, ask the supplier for a copy and keep any other evidence of the purchase; a bank payment alone may not explain what you bought or how it relates to your business.
Finding a document takes time
Even a carefully kept paper folder becomes awkward when you need one particular receipt from March. Digital records let you keep the document with the expense and find it without searching through a year's paperwork. Recording the purchase promptly also makes it easier to match it to the corresponding bank payment.
When a digital copy is acceptable
Czech rules allow electronic records, but taking a photograph is only part of the job. For VAT documents, § 34 and § 35a of Act No. 235/2004 Coll. require:
- Authenticity of origin: you can establish who issued the document.
- Integrity of content: the stored copy preserves the original information.
- Legibility: the document remains readable throughout the required retention period.
Keep the copy together with evidence linking it to the transaction, such as the order and payment. Sole traders using tax records must retain their records while the tax assessment period remains open (§ 7b of the Income Taxes Act). The Financial Administration explains the distinction between tax records, accounting records and VAT documents in its guidance on electronic receipts.
Do not discard paper originals merely because the year has ended. First establish that your conversion and storage process preserves the evidence for the full required period. A blurred image or an incomplete scan is not a reliable substitute.
How mobile scanning works in Taxorio
Taxorio uses a QR code to connect your computer session to a page in your phone's browser. You do not need to install a separate mobile app.
Connect your phone
- On your computer, open the mobile scanning option in Taxorio to display a QR code.
- On your phone, scan the QR code with the camera and open the upload page.
- Photograph the document. The image uploads to Taxorio.
- Review the result. AI extracts the document details and prepares them for your review before you confirm the expense.
The QR code connects the upload page to your session. Keep it private and use a phone with a working camera, a modern browser and an internet connection.
What AI can extract
AI document recognition reads the uploaded image and can fill in:
- Supplier: the business or sole trader you bought from.
- Supplier IČO: the Czech business identification number, if shown.
- Total amount: the amount on the receipt or invoice.
- VAT details: taxable amounts and VAT, broken down by rate where available.
- Document date: the purchase or issue date shown on the document.
Check the extracted values against the image, choose an expense category and enter the share used for business. Processing time varies with the document and connection; allow time to review the result rather than treating the scan as an automatic confirmation that the expense is correct.
Example: recording office supplies
You buy stationery for CZK 847 including 21% VAT and receive a paper receipt. Here is the complete workflow:
- Open mobile scanning in Taxorio on your computer.
- Scan the QR code with your phone and open the upload page.
- Photograph the whole receipt with all text in focus.
- Wait for processing and return to the document on your computer.
- Check the extracted details: supplier “Papírnictví Novák”, total CZK 847, taxable amount CZK 700 and VAT of CZK 147 at 21%.
- Choose Office expenses and confirm 100% business use if the purchase is entirely for your business.
- Confirm and save the expense together with its digital attachment.
The VAT split does not give every user a VAT deduction. A non-payer or identified person cannot reclaim input VAT as an ordinary VAT payer can. Likewise, an expense record does not create an additional income-tax deduction when you use percentage expenses or the flat-tax regime. Your tax treatment depends on your profile.
How to take a readable photograph
Lighting
- Use a well-lit place, ideally with indirect daylight.
- Avoid glare on glossy paper; adjust the light or the document slightly.
- Do not photograph the receipt with a bright window behind it.
Position and focus
- Place the document flat on a contrasting surface, such as a white receipt on a dark table.
- Hold the camera directly above it to avoid distorting the text.
- Wait for the camera to focus before taking the picture.
- Include the entire document, including its edges and totals.
Long or two-sided documents
- Use portrait orientation for an A4 invoice so that the full page fits.
- Move closer for a small receipt, while keeping all its details in view.
- If relevant information appears on both sides, capture both sides.
Open the uploaded image and check that you can read the supplier, dates and amounts. If you cannot, retake it while you still have the original.
Scan immediately or in a weekly batch?
Scanning after each purchase
Photographing a receipt as soon as you receive it works well for everyday purchases, fuel and small business expenses. The text is fresh, you still remember the business purpose, and the document is less likely to be lost before it reaches your records. Check that the upload succeeded before relying on it as your digital copy.
Scanning in batches
A regular batch works well if you receive several invoices by post or collect receipts during the week. Set aside a specific time, sort the documents and work through them together. A weekly routine is easier to keep under control than a pile left until the end of the year.
For invoices already received as electronic files, upload the original file rather than printing it just to photograph it again.
Organising the expenses after scanning
A scan is useful only if you can find it later. Taxorio provides expense categories such as software, hardware, materials, travel, phone, services and office expenses. Choose the category that describes the purchase, then check the date, supplier and business-use percentage.
Consistent categories help you:
- Filter expenses and see where your money goes.
- Find a particular document when a client or accountant asks about it.
- Prepare the records needed for your tax return.
- Compare spending between periods.
For purchases with both business and private use, such as a phone, internet service or car costs, record the appropriate business share. Categorising a purchase does not by itself establish that it is tax-deductible.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to install an app?
No. The QR code opens an upload page in your phone's browser. You can take a photograph or upload an image there.
Does it work on Android and iPhone?
It works through a modern mobile browser with camera or file-upload access. Allow the permissions requested by your browser and make sure the phone is online.
What if AI reads something incorrectly?
Check and correct the extracted details before confirming the expense. Pay particular attention to decimal places, VAT rates, dates and supplier identifiers. Poorly printed or unusual documents may need manual entry.
Is mobile scanning included in FREE?
Yes. Mobile scanning is available on FREE and PRO. FREE includes 5 AI document recognitions per month, shared across upload methods, including mobile scanning. PRO includes up to 150 per month. Check the current plan details in your account when choosing a subscription.
Make it a routine
A regular scanning habit reduces retyping and keeps receipts close to the expense they support. For the wider workflow, see recording expenses in Taxorio.
You can try Taxorio on the FREE plan with 5 AI recognitions per month, including uploads through the mobile scanning page. Keep checking the result and retaining the supporting evidence: AI helps with entry, while you remain responsible for your records.
To create invoices as well as upload receipts from your phone, see invoicing from your phone in Czechia.
Taxorio scope: Taxorio provides invoicing and income/expense records for Czech sole traders. It is not full accounting or personalised tax advice. For an unsupported or unusual case, verify the treatment with a Czech accountant or tax adviser before filing.