Swiss fiduciary services
Swiss fiduciary services — company formation, accounting, and mandate services in English
Under one mandate: Swiss company formation, ongoing accounting, the Swiss-resident director your AG or GmbH legally needs, registered address at Baarerstrasse 14, and lifecycle closure. Delivered for foreign founders, in English, across all 26 Swiss cantons.
What it is
What a Swiss fiduciary actually does
Before the menu, the definition. Swiss fiduciary firms (Treuhand, in German) sit in a lane that Anglo-American readers often misread — and it is worth five minutes to get it right before scoping an engagement.
Continuing mandate, not one-time setup
A Swiss fiduciary acts as an ongoing mandate representative for a Swiss company. You do not hire us for a single task and say goodbye. You appoint us for a multi-year counterpart role: we form the entity, keep the books, file the VAT returns, hold the Swiss-resident signature where the Code of Obligations demands one, forward the mail from cantonal authorities, and eventually sign the wind-down deed when you close the company. This is structurally different from a one-off formation agent who incorporates and leaves.
In Swiss usage, the word is Treuhand. The English equivalent is imperfect — we say "fiduciary" because "corporate services firm" is vague and "agent" is wrong. What matters is the function: a single licensed professional counterpart across the company lifecycle.
Where a fiduciary sits between notary, bank, and tax authority
Forming and running a Swiss company touches at least four public or private counterparts: a Swiss notary for the incorporation deed, a Swiss bank for the consignment and operating accounts, the cantonal Handelsregister (federated via zefix.ch) for the register entry, and ESTV for federal tax and VAT. Add cantonal tax, AHV/AVS for payroll, FINMA if the activity is financial, and SEM / cantonal labour authorities if the founder needs a permit. A fiduciary is the single point of contact that compresses these counterparts into one relationship on your side of the table.
What we are not: a law firm with litigation scope, a pure accountant who only touches the ledger, or a formation agent whose engagement ends at the Handelsregister confirmation. All three exist in the Swiss market, and they are the correct hire for some situations. Fiduciary work is the one counterpart that stays.
Who we work with
Foreign founders setting up their first Swiss entity. Non-resident entrepreneurs building holding or family-office structures. Cross-border SMEs adding a Swiss subsidiary or a Swiss operating entity. Investors who need a specialised structure — holding company, family office wrapper, FINMA-licensed vehicle, crypto / DLT company — and who want the legal-language gap closed. Every engagement is run in English, and the statutory German / French / Italian filings are handled by us on your behalf.
Lifecycle stage 1
Incorporation services
Swiss company formation for the four legal forms foreign founders use in practice. Each card links to the dedicated sub-service with the figures, statutory articles, and the typical timeline.
Company formation — overview
End-to-end incorporation for AG, GmbH, branch offices, and sole proprietorships. Notarial deed, Handelsregister filing, VAT registration, first bank account. Typical end-to-end: 2–6 weeks depending on legal form.
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AG / joint-stock company
CHF 100,000 total share capital, CHF 50,000 paid in at formation (OR art. 621, 632). The capital multiple of choice for holding, crypto, and FINMA-pathway structures.
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GmbH / limited liability company
CHF 20,000 fully paid in at formation (OR art. 773, 777c). Lean operating vehicle for consulting, trading, and owner-operated SMEs.
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Shelf companies
An existing Swiss entity, clean of trading history, ready for transfer when the timeline does not accommodate a fresh incorporation. Scoped individually on request.
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Swiss company formation is the most-trafficked pillar here. If you already know the legal form, the AG / joint-stock company formation and GmbH / limited liability company formation pages cover the capital, residency, notary, and bank steps in detail.
Lifecycle stage 2
Ongoing operations
The standing-order services that keep a Swiss company compliant month by month and year by year. Accounting is the gravitational centre; payroll, VAT, and audit coordination orbit it.
Accounting and bookkeeping
Monthly bookkeeping, VAT returns, annual financial statements, year-end close, and limited-review audit coordination (OR art. 727a). English-language reporting.
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Tax advisory
Federal, cantonal, and municipal corporate income tax plus VAT. Combined effective rates range 11.85% (Zug) to 20.54% (Bern); we model your canton candidates before you commit.
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Payroll and HR
AHV/AVS first-pillar, BVG/LPP second-pillar enrolment, source-tax for foreign employees, salary certificates, and year-end reconciliations.
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Audit coordination
Limited-scope review under OR art. 727a as the SME default; ordinary audit when two of the three statutory thresholds (CHF 20m balance sheet, CHF 40m revenue, 250 FTE) are exceeded. We coordinate with independent audit firms, not audit ourselves.
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The anchor link for operations is ongoing accounting and bookkeeping. VAT registration becomes mandatory at CHF 100,000 of worldwide taxable turnover for domestic companies and from the first franc of Swiss turnover for foreign companies over that threshold (MWSTG art. 10).
Lifecycle stage 3
Compliance and representation
The rules of the road. A Swiss-resident signatory is federally mandatory for both an AG and a GmbH; a registered address is mandatory; anti-money-laundering and beneficial-ownership compliance has tightened across the Swiss financial centre.
Swiss-resident director (nominee)
One of our partners sits on your board (AG, OR art. 718.4) or as managing officer (GmbH, OR art. 814.3) to satisfy the Swiss-resident signatory rule. Fiduciary, not signature-blind.
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Domiciliation / registered address
Registered address at Baarerstrasse 14, 6300 Zug, commercial-register address, inbound post handling, and cantonal-authority notice forwarding.
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AML and beneficial-ownership compliance
Ongoing anti-money-laundering and beneficial-ownership register filings aligned with the Swiss transparency regime. Scope is confirmed on a case basis.
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The federal Code of Obligations requires at least one Swiss-resident person with signatory authority for both legal forms: OR art. 718.4 for an AG, OR art. 814.3 for a GmbH. Non-resident founders close this gap through Swiss-resident director services.
Lifecycle stage 4
Lifecycle closure
Not every company runs forever. Voluntary wind-down in Switzerland is a federally codified procedure with a statutory blocking period, a final tax clearance, and a deregistration at the Handelsregister.
Liquidation
Voluntary wind-down under OR art. 736–747 — notary step, statutory blocking period, deregistration from the Handelsregister, final tax return, and clearance.
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Or talk first
Not sure which services apply?
Most engagements bundle three to five services. A 30-minute scoping call maps the stack you actually need and the order we sequence it.
Swiss company liquidation is the closing bookend. Typical voluntary wind-down timelines run 10–18 months from shareholder resolution to final deregistration, owing to the statutory blocking period.
Canton matters
Choose your canton — cantonal depth at every service
Swiss fiduciary services are federal in law, cantonal in tax, and municipal in texture. Every service on this hub has a cantonal surface.
The most material cantonal lever is corporate income tax. Combined effective rates across the 26 cantons range from 11.85% at Zug (the lowest in Switzerland) to 20.54% at Bern (the highest), a spread of roughly 8.7 percentage points. Zurich sits at 19.61%, Geneva at 14.70%, with Schwyz and Lucerne around 14.0% and 12.3% respectively. The numbers are re-verified every January–February against KPMG Clarity on Swiss Taxes and the ESTV cantonal tables.
We file at the Handelsregister of whichever canton you pick, via the federal zefix.ch portal. Our physical base is Baarerstrasse 14 in Zug, which is also why most of our holding, crypto, and family-office clients headquarter in Canton Zug. If your answer is not Zug, we still form the company: Zurich for banking depth, Geneva for UN / commodity counterparties, Schwyz or Lucerne for low-rate peers, Vaud or Ticino for French- or Italian-language comfort.
For the full comparison, see cantonal rates and Handelsregister offices across all 26 cantons.
Process
How we work — from enquiry to signed mandate
Most services have a published fixed fee. Multi-step engagements (M&A, FINMA, restructuring) are scoped on a 30-minute call. Here is the path from first message to signed mandate.
- 01
Enquiry
Day 0
Send the contact form with canton preference, entity type, permit situation, timeline, and the services you want scoped. The more precise the input, the faster the scoping call.
- 02
Scoping call
Within 2 business days
A 30-minute English call to confirm canton, legal form, Swiss-resident signatory arrangement, accounting cadence, and any FINMA / permit / banking overlay.
- 03
Written proposal
2–3 business days after the call
For services with published fixed fees (formation, accounting, payroll, trademark, registered address, etc.) we confirm the rate. For multi-step engagements (M&A, FINMA, restructuring) we send a fixed-scope written proposal with itemised deliverables, assumptions, and a fee band. Signed proposal becomes the engagement letter.
See how we scope a written proposal for the full version of the process, including what a scoping call typically covers and what the written proposal contains.
At a glance
By the numbers — Switzerland at a glance
Three numbers that set the frame for most engagements scoped on this hub.
CHF 20k – 100k
Minimum share capital, GmbH or AG
11.85% – 20.54%
Combined effective corporate tax by canton (2026)
CHF 100,000
VAT registration threshold
Federal withholding tax on outbound dividends is 35%, before double-taxation-treaty relief. Cantonal tax rates are re-verified annually.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions — Swiss fiduciary services
What does a Swiss fiduciary actually do?
A Swiss fiduciary (Treuhand) is an ongoing mandate representative for a Swiss company — covering formation, accounting, VAT filings, the Swiss-resident director requirement under OR art. 718.4 / 814.3, domiciliation, and liquidation. It is not a law firm and not a pure accountant; it is a single professional counterpart across the company lifecycle.
Can you handle my company entirely in English?
Yes. Documentation, meetings, and correspondence are in English. Statutory filings (Handelsregister, notary deed, tax returns) are submitted in German, French, or Italian as the canton requires, with English summaries shared back.
Do I need a Swiss-resident director, and can you provide one?
Yes, at least one Swiss-resident person with sole or joint signature is required: OR art. 718.4 for an AG, OR art. 814.3 for a GmbH. We provide one of our partners as Swiss-resident signatory under a nominee or full-fiduciary mandate.
Do you cover all 26 cantons?
Yes. We incorporate and file in all 26 cantonal Handelsregister offices via the federal zefix.ch portal. Our Zug base serves most holding, crypto, and family-office clients; Zurich, Geneva, Schwyz, Vaud, and Ticino are also common choices. See the cantons hub for rate comparisons.
Can I bundle formation, accounting, and nominee in one engagement?
Yes, that is the typical starting shape. Formation (AG or GmbH) plus ongoing accounting plus Swiss-resident director under a single mandate reduces your administrative counterparts from four to one. Add-ons include payroll, VAT returns, audit coordination, and beneficial-ownership filings.
How long does it take to form a Swiss GmbH or AG?
A GmbH typically takes 2–4 weeks and an AG 3–6 weeks, from first draft of articles to Handelsregister entry. VAT registration adds 5–15 days; a Swiss operating bank account 5–30 days depending on customer due diligence on foreign ultimate beneficial owners.
Do you publish prices?
No. Every engagement is custom-scoped by entity type, canton, permit needs, ongoing-mandate scope, and language complexity. We produce a written fixed-scope proposal after a 30-minute scoping call. See the fees and process page for how the scoping works.
Do you work with existing Swiss companies switching providers?
Yes. Provider-switch engagements are a regular part of the book. We take over the incumbent mandate on a fixed transition date, ingest bookkeeping files, coordinate Handelsregister signatory changes, and resume VAT, audit, and payroll on the next cycle.
When does my Swiss company need to register for VAT?
When worldwide taxable turnover reaches CHF 100,000 per year (MWSTG art. 10). Foreign companies with any Swiss supply and worldwide turnover over CHF 100,000 are liable from the first franc of Swiss turnover. Platforms collecting for third-party sellers are liable from 2026.
How do I request a proposal?
Send your situation (target canton, entity type, permit status, timeline, services wanted) via the contact form. A scoping call is booked within two business days; a written proposal follows 2–3 business days after the call.
Related
Related resources
Three hubs adjacent to services. Each is worth a look before you book a call.
Cantons
Compare all 26 cantons
Combined effective corporate tax, Handelsregister speed, and cantonal specialities (holding, commodities, pharma, DLT). The fastest way to price out canton choice before scoping.
Explore cantons
Specialised
Specialised structures
Swiss holding companies, family offices, FINMA-licensed vehicles, and crypto / DLT companies. For structures where the ordinary incorporation path is not enough.
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Guides
Guides for foreign founders
Residence permits, work permits, Swiss VAT, opening a Swiss bank account, and starting a business in Switzerland — the research-phase library for founders before they scope.
Read the guide
Ready to start your Swiss setup?
One mandate covers formation, accounting, the Swiss-resident director, domiciliation at Baarerstrasse 14, and lifecycle closure. Every engagement is scoped on a 30-minute English call.