company formation in switzerland

EBCS can be your partner of choice to register your company. We have developed on a set of standard actions that must be taken in order for all the legal requirements to be met. The actions necessary to start a company in Switzerland include drafting the articles of association and several additional documents, such as specimen signatures, passport copies and the special forms from the company registration office. All procedures involving signing of papers must be performed with a public notary in Switzerland. We handle all aspects of the process for your incorporation and company registration in Switzerland.

Securing the Commercial Registration of the Company will then enable it to commence trading.

This process will normally take 2-3 weeks and can include:

- Presenting options of incorporation different legal entities

- Transferring your requirements into the best possible form

- Taking instructions from you

- Preparing and signing of all Fiduciary and Legal Agreements

- Opening of capital bank accounts for the capital of the company

- Preparing all incorporation documentation

- Writing the Foundation documentation including the Articles of Association in German and English

- Attending the Notary Meeting to process the incorporation filing

- Submitting all relevant incorporation documentation to the Commercial Registry

Once the Company has been incorporated and registered there are a number of primary post incorporation tasks that need to be completed which are performed on your behalf:

- Determining a chart of accounts

- Setting up an accounting mandate in Switzerland

- Evaluating your business plans and preparing budget for the first 12 months of trading

- Establishing invoice and letterhead templates

- Setting up bank accounts and online banking arrangements

- Registering the Company for Swiss VAT (Value added taxes)

- Agreeing on financial reporting formats and reporting structure

- Setting operational policies for financial power of attorney

There are basically four different forms of profit oriented legal forms of entities in Switzerland available. These are

- Sole Enterprise

- Limited Liability Company (LLC) - in Swiss German: Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH)

- Limited Company (Ltd) - in Swiss German: Aktiengesellschaft (AG)

- Limited Partnership

From the above list the LLC as well as the Ltd are the two typical legal entities for foreign investors. These entities are described in more detail below. In both cases, the capital required for the foundation is first held in an escrow account until the formation is completed. After deduction of the incorporation fees for authorities and banks of approximately 5%, the paid in capital returns to the company as funds for working capital.

For international clients as member of EBCS we offer two versions of all-in packages for the foundation. These packages cover all necessary services for a successful company foundation and legal registration in the commercial registry.

The above stated prices include the costs for the packages for the foundation as described. Domestic administrative costs for registration are approximately 1'500 - 2'200 CHF per registration, depending on the canton chosen.

Upon successful incorporation and public registration, the foundation capital will be released from the bank's escrow and paid into the company's newly established Swiss corporate bank account, minus the domestic administrative costs.
The accounting and taxation portion includes the basic set-up for your entity. 
Additional hours for special cases are charged at 200 CHF/hour. Costs for operational tasks during the year upon agreement.

Do discuss your specific case and evaluate the best option, please connect with us for an initial consultation.