Tag: SAP

Swiss customs in 2025: from e-dec to Passar with SAP GTS

Michaela Merz1 Comment

Wolfgang Baer

Wolfgang Baer

Senior Manager, Global Trade Automation, PwC Switzerland

Switzerland’s customs IT landscape is in the midst of a major transformation. The long-standing e-dec platform is giving way to Passar, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security’s modernised system designed to streamline import, export and transit processes. At the same time, SAP Global Trade Services, SAP’s solution for industry to manage customs processes, free trade agreements, sanctions and export controls, is moving from SAP GTS 11 to SAP GTS Edition for HANA.

From e-dec to Passar

Passar is part of the larger DaziT initiative, which aims to digitise and simplify customs procedures across Switzerland. Although its rollout has experienced delays, the system promises faster declaration times, improved data quality and better collaboration between businesses and customs authorities. By early 2026, most core functions of e-dec should be replaced by Passar, making it essential for companies to prepare for this change.

Passar 1.0 (exports) has been live since early 2024, and is mandatory for Swiss authorised consignors clearing their goods using NCTS Phase 5. As for the others, they have until the end of 2025 to upgrade, when e-dec Export will be decommissioned. As for Passar 2.0 (imports), a transition period from e-dec Import is predicted to last from Q2 2026 to Q1 2027 (one year).

Passar Roadmap

Source: Website of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS)

The SAP GTS shift

While Swiss customs moves to Passar, SAP Global Trade Services (SAP GTS) is also at a pivotal juncture. SAP GTS 11 reaches end-of-maintenance on 31 December 2025, meaning no further updates or patches will be provided. Companies committed to SAP GTS are therefore adopting SAP GTS Edition for SAP HANA (SAP GTS e4H), either on-premise or in the cloud. This new edition aligns with a modern customs platform like Passar, offering real-time analytics, robust compliance checks and a more intuitive user experience using FIORI tiles.

Regarding Passar, major changes to the declaration procedure are confirmed by existing and published documentation from Swiss customs authority. The changes will require new process flows, new message definitions and a changed interface between SEEBURGER BIS and Passar. The interface for the message exchange with Passar will be web services.

Passar 1.0 for export in Switzerland with SAP GTS – status September 2024

Source: SAP Regulatory Change Manager

In order to be able to exchange messages with the Passar backend system via the B2B hub of Passar, the following requirements must be met:

  • creation of a user account in ePortal
  • registration of a business partner with a valid UID (Identification number) as well as activation
  • assignment of business partner roles
  • establishment of a B2B network connection between SAP GTS and Passar via the B2B Hub
  • application of required tokens

It is already possible to begin onboarding to the new customs platform Passar now. More detailed information about the onboarding procedure can be found in SAP note 3337375 (CH Passar: Onboarding for the technical communication of the new customs platform Passar).

The new web service-based interface between SAP GTS and SEEBURGER BIS established for NCTS will also be used for Passar Export. The IDoc interface will no longer be used for export in Switzerland after e-dec export is closed. This requires changes to the IT infrastructure to enable web service calls in both directions between SAP GTS and SEEBURGER BIS. Note 3318211 (Customs Message Exchange: Introduction of the Web service for communication between SAP GTS and converter for customs communication) provides the enhancements needed for the interface on SAP GTS side. On the SEEBURGER side, BIS 6.7 is required.

At present, it is recommended to upgrade to Support Package 4 for SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA 2023 to support the new interface for Passar between SAP GTS and the converter. For SAP GTS, edition for SAP HANA 2020, Support Package 6 or SAP GTS 11.0 Support Package 23 are strongly recommended. Please check the availability matrix for the latest support package at the time of implementation: SAP Product availability matrix

It is planned to deliver SAP GTS-related changes via notes if possible. Currently, SAP’s planned delivery date for Passar 1.0 export is 31 July 2025.

DSAG and PwC actively support the transition

PwC is a member of the Deutschsprachige SAP Anwendergruppe e.V. (DSAG) and the new subject matter group GTS – PASSAR Schweiz – Export- und Importprozesse. This group supports all member companies in the move from e-dec to Passar. Regular online and physical meetings enable members to ask questions, be briefed on technical information about system connections, message execution and process variants, and share information from different sources to keep everybody up to date.

For more information, please contact us at PwC or reach out directly to DSAG.

Why timely action matters

Whether you plan to stay on SAP GTS 11 this year or migrate to SAP GTS Edition for HANA, providing you have not already done so, you now have a year to prepare yourself for Passar 1.0 (exports). The big decisions will revolve around the timeline of the roadmap for the evolution of the GTS platform to a HANA/ FIORI environment and its synchronisation with the upgrade from e-dec Export to Passar 1.0 (exports). These are strategic decisions with technical, human and financial requirements, and understanding these will enable you to make more optimal choices.

Conclusion

The transition from e-dec to Passar, coupled with the shift from SAP GTS 11 to SAP GTS e4H, marks a significant milestone in Swiss customs and global trade processes. Companies that take a proactive approach will position themselves for smoother declarations, stronger compliance and a future-ready trade setup. Now is the time to assess your current systems, plan your migrations and seize the opportunities brought by modern customs technology.

You can read more about this topic in our earlier blog: From risk to resilience: the transition to SAP GTS E4H 2023 and Passar

PwC Webinar: SAP GTS Virtual Roadshow on Monday, 22 March 2021 09.30am

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We are living in times of constant change, where excelling in international trade management is key to staying competitive in the market.

This is why I would like to invite you to join our SAP GTS Virtual Roadshow hosted by PwC and SAP.

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Online-Training: Learn more about VAT, customs, export control and SAP without fees and without obligations

Michaela MerzLeave a comment

I feel like many of us: I often say I will learn something new or refresh my knowledge about something that I used to know a lot about.

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Online-Training: Lerne mehr über MWST, Zoll, Exportkontrollen, SAP ohne Gebühren und ohne Verpflichtungen

Michaela MerzLeave a comment

Mir geht es wie vielen anderen Leuten: Ich nehme mir oft vor, etwas Neues zu lernen oder etwas, worüber ich einmal viel wusste, wieder aufzufrischen. Oft scheitert es aber daran, dass mir die Zeit oder Möglichkeit fehlt.

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Event: Tax – Ready for SAP S/4HANA

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Die Schnelligkeit, Granularität und Flexibilität von HANA hat das Potenzial, den Steuerabteilungen eine ganz neue Welt zu öffnen. Tax sollte daher von Anfang an im Projekt involviert sein.

Die Veranstaltung „Tax – Ready for SAP S/4HANA“ richtet sich an Leiter Steuern, Leiter Rechnungswesen, Mitarbeiter der Steuerabteilungen, des Rechnungswesens und der IT von Unternehmen aller Größenordnungen die planen, SAP S/4HANA einzuführen oder bereits mit einem derartigen Projekt beschäftigt sind und dabei steuerliche Aspekte berücksichtigen wollen.

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Taxmarc is now certified for SAP S/4HANA

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I’m proud to announce that SAP has certified our Taxmarc solution for the latest SAP version S/4HANA.

This certification guarantees the quality and compatibility of Taxmarc within the SAP S/4HANA platform. As a result, the customers of SAP can implement the solution without encountering problems in their SAP systems. Last year, we received the SAP certification of Taxmarc for the platform ECC. This means that currently our solution is certified for the two most used SAP platforms.

 

Image source: unsplash.com

EVENT: SAP S/4HANA Roundtable – Zürich, Dienstag 17. September (DE)

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Ich freue mich sehr, Sie zu unserem SAP S/4HANA Round Table einzuladen.

Wo beginnt Ihre Reise mit SAP S/4HANA, wo führt sie hin? Was sind die wichtigsten Herausforderungen in den verschiedenen Migrationsphasen? Wir diskutieren Trends und Chancen und gehen zugleich auf die Bedenken von Kunden ein.

Tauchen Sie mit uns in die Welt von SAP S/4HANA ein, um ein Verständnis für das grosse Ganze zu erhalten. Anhand eines Praxisbeispiels liefern wir Ihnen eine Steuer-Roadmap, damit Sie Ihr S/4HANA-Projekt bestmöglich umsetzen können. Die Referenten zeigen Ihnen, wie Sie Stakeholder frühzeitig einbinden und ein strategisches Verständnis für alle relevanten Steuerelemente entwickeln können. Sie erklären die neuen Funktionalitäten von S/4HANA und besprechen Themen zum internationalen Handel (GTS). Auch die Integration neuer Technologien kommt nicht zu kurz.

Am Round Table treffen sich Spezialisten aus den Gebieten Steuern und SAP mit langjähriger Beratungs- und Industrieerfahrung, um unter Leitung unserer PwC-Experten gemeinsam die relevanten Fragen und Herausforderungen zu diskutieren. Starten Sie Ihre Transformation zusammen mit uns und profitieren Sie vom Austausch innerhalb einer trusted community.

Mehr informationen und registrieren Sie sich hier>

Für mehr informationen über SAP S/4HANA klicken Sie hier >

EVENT: SAP S/4HANA Roundtable – Geneva, Wednesday 18 September (EN)

Michaela MerzLeave a comment

I’m very pleased to invite you to PwC’s SAP S/4HANA roundtable. It’s a great opportunity to meet different specialists, sharing their tax and technical expertise, and get answers to some decisive questions you may have about SAP S/4HANA:

Where could your journey with SAP S/4HANA start, and where will it lead? What are the main challenges you’re likely to face during the different stages of migration? What trends do we currently see in transformation projects, what do clients fear, and where are the opportunities?

We’ll take a deep-dive into the S/4HANA world to show you the big picture. With the help of a real use case, we’ll provide a tax roadmap to help you get your S/4HANA project on the best possible track.

The speakers from PwC will be focusing on how to ensure the right tax input is provided at the right time, as well as giving you a clear strategic understanding of the technical elements and features available. Our guest speaker from SAP (Schweiz) AG will be looking at the broader context of tax and international trade.

Bringing together a variety of experts with many years of combined tax, SAP and industry experience, the roundtable is designed to enable peers facing similar issues to share their experiences and discuss their response to the challenges. Start your transformation journey with us and enjoy the support of a trusted community!

 

Find out more and register here>

Tecan: Tax Manager 80-100% / Männedorf

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Join Tecan! Join the marketleader! Work in an international and dynamic environment, share our success!

We care about people – Join the market leader

People every day all around the world will benefit from more personalized healthcare. The promise of better, faster, more cost efficient solutions is now within our grasp. And that’s the world in which Tecan plays a vital role – helping advance healthcare – through advanced life science research and diagnostic solutions. We constantly seek new ways to steer innovation.Read More »

Functional SAP Consultant / Amsterdam / Zurich

Michaela MerzLeave a comment

When advising our clients, the use of complex technology and ICT is becoming increasingly widespread. In order to keep pace with rapid developments, PwC seeks a (Senior) Functional SAP Consultant.
Do you want to help our VAT advisers in this complex world of technical developments? Then we can offer you a wide range of opportunities.Read More »