Swiss sole proprietorship

Starting a sole proprietorship in Switzerland is probably the fasted and least costly ways of starting a business in this country. There is no minimum capital, no signing of the articles and no need for a notary.

Despite being faster and less costly, the Swiss sole proprietorship company is frequently less favorable in terms of taxation and, most importantly, offers the entrepreneur less protection against bankruptcy.

Starting a Swiss sole proprietorship: formalities for a Swiss resident

Registering a sole proprietorship company in Switzerland is a simple process. The entrepreneur need only report the social entities involved in the project (accident insurance, pension).

Starting a Swiss sole propritership: formalities for a non-Swiss resident

A non-Swiss resident registering a sole proprietorship company in Switzerland must request a work permit (G permit). The filing must include a business plan and the description of the infrastructure to be used. Once the work permit has been obtained, the foreign entrepreneur must register with the Swiss canton (state) revenue administration.

Registering a sole proprietorship at the Swiss trade registry

It is not required to register a Swiss sole proprietorship at the Swiss trade registry unless the company has an annual turnover of more than 100,000 CHF.

If the annual turnover is less than 100,000 CHF, it is still possible to register a sole proprietorship, but it is not required.

The business name must include the last name of the entrepreneur.

Registering VAT of the sole proprietorship company

It is not required to register VAT if the company has a turnover of less than 100,000 CHF.

When the turnover less than 100,000 CHF, the sole proprietorship has the possibility of voluntarily declaring VAT.