If you don’t live in Switzerland, you can set up a company here by using a tax representative such as a trust company. It helps you with your many tasks, from the creation of your company to its dissolution. Tax regulations differ from country to country, and as it is complicated to always know everything about tax and other legislation, it is best to hire a professional to manage certain tasks for your subsidiary. A fiduciary company will help and advise you on the administrative formalities involved in setting up your company in Switzerland.

What are the roles of the trust company?

The role of the trust company is to support and advise you on the establishment and domiciliation of your company in Switzerland. In the majority of cases, you can call on a fiduciary company from the conception of your business project or during the development of your expansion project. The trust company will put you in touch with the necessary representatives, but will also inform you of the obligatory steps to be taken to establish your company in Switzerland. It will carry out the tasks and complete the documents required to give your company legitimacy with the competent authorities.

As a tax representative, the trust company will take care of the company’s tax affairs: it will take care of all tax matters that could affect your company. More specifically, tax declarations and VAT returns will fall within its remit from the moment you hire it. More generally, you can entrust her with the management of your company’s taxation, the calculation of your VAT, the calculation of your taxation based on your international turnover and tasks relating to accounts and tax settlements.

The trust company is also responsible for your company’s accounting and takes care of your cash flow, the regularisation of your accounts and your accounting declarations. It will advise you on the best investments to make in order to invest well with your company. Your tax representative, especially a local one, is in the best position to do this, as he or she is familiar with Swiss legislation and knows the reality on the ground. The trust company will provide you with the information you need to deal with situations of a local or international nature.

For your company’s Human Resources, the fiduciary company is responsible for managing your staff, managing their salaries, obtaining work permits and drawing up compulsory insurance contracts. The formalities and the various steps to be taken will be the responsibility of the trust company.

Finally, the fiduciary company is mandated to take over your company’s administrative tasks: you can delegate operations of an administrative nature to the fiduciary company. As it is established locally, it is familiar with the steps that need to be taken to ensure that your business operates at peak efficiency. It can take care of the domiciliation, any change of address, etc.

Why go through a trustee?

A company starting up on its own in Switzerland would be overburdened with formalities, administrative tasks and services that have to be brought into line with local regulations. If you decide to hire a fiduciary company to take care of this for you, you will be able to devote your time to developing your business in a sustainable and concrete manner. You won’t have to worry about bookkeeping or local tax changes. You will use your time to expand your partnerships or develop new products and strategies.

Above all, you will get expert advice: the Swiss experts and professionals of the trust company are at your disposal. Since the fiduciary knows your accounting, tax and legal issues, it will be best able to advise you on the steps you need to take to optimise your organisation. Knowing the local, federal and national laws, she will give you the information you need to help you make the right decisions as your business evolves. Without reliable and up-to-date information, you will not be able to develop your business properly and you risk sanction from the authorities. A business that starts up on its own is therefore at a disadvantage compared to a business that is accompanied by secure entities such as a trust company that can support it.

Thanks to the trust company, you will make savings through tax optimisation. Indeed, at the very beginning of the creation of your company, it will advise you on an advantageous structure that meets your needs. Swiss law holds no secrets for your trust company: you will have real advice on how to make satisfactory savings, especially as Switzerland is one of the most interesting countries for optimising its tax system.

Finally, with a fiduciary company, experts in accounting, taxation and human resources are at your service. You will not have to mandate external experts from different fields for every problem. Unlike a company that goes it alone, you are prepared to deal with all possible situations.