Businesses operating or aspiring to operate in Switzerland must stay updated about its evolving culture, regulations, and economy. Understanding these changes allows you to adapt your business strategy proactively and succeed in the Swiss market. Read to learn some of the recent shifts in taxation, immigration policies, industry regulations, and consumer behavior
Switzerland is one of the hardest hit countries by the novel COVID-19. Being a popular tourist destination, the state was hugely exposed to this contagion through visitors from all over the world. Whether the government did a plausible job to protect its economy or not, is not so hard to see if you look closely.
From January 1, 2020. The Swiss Financial Institutions Act (FinIA) and the Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA) entered into force, updating the regulatory regime for trustees working in Switzerland. This means that all independent portfolio managers (PMs) and trustees subject to supervision under FinIA will have to be supervised by a Supervised organisations (SO) authorised by FINMA and get licensed by FINMA before they can be able to carry out their activities as financial intermediaries in Switzerland.
On the 19th of May 2019, Swiss voters voted in favour of the Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing (TRAF)—confirming the corporate taxation reform. The main purpose of the reform is to bring tax legislation in line with international standards and to remove Switzerland from the EU “Grey List”, which it has been in since December 2017. This list includes states that are under EU control and have agreed to cooperate to improve the tax system.
General provisions of the Switzerland - United States tax treaty regarding the taxation of individuals, companies, partnerships and other types of legal entities doing business in Switzerland.
Each state has the sovereign right to levy taxes, which means that it has to deal with certain tax issues that concern not only its own citizens, but also citizens that are non-residents who occasionally or temporarily earn income in the respective state.
The United States of America and the Swiss Confederation have signed a convention regarding the avoidance of double taxation concerning income taxes, which became effective on January 1 1998.
Double taxation refers to the fact that two countries collect simultaneously taxes on the same company. This situation often arises when companies have subsidiaries or branches in various countries.
