In Switzerland, the business culture it is above all other personal relations. The Swiss business values refer to punctuality, sobriety, responsibility honesty and hard work. This is why is important to know the business culture before starting a new business relationship with a Swiss client or partner. Here are the top 10 things to know about Swiss business culture.
Banks are part of Swiss culture since 16th century, therefore there is no surprise that the Swiss banking system is one of the biggest strengths of the country. The Swiss banking system is different than other European banking systems because it is based on the universal banking concept. This concept refers to offering all the banking services both commercial and investment. This is so that the risk to be spread over a greater number of business and customers.
More than 60% of the people prefer to rent a house in Switzerland; therefore buying a house is not a common thing. Oddly enough, in some of the most popular Swiss cities such as Zurich, Basel or Geneva, there are even less property owners. The number of property owners is larger in rural areas an lower in popular cities, also due to the constant growth rate of urban population in Switzerland over the last years. Thus, pressure on limited available houses has also increased.
The legal structure of a Swiss Holding Company is meant to allow the said company to manage financial investments for long for the long run in other affiliated companies. For a company to be classified as a Swiss holding company under the provisions of the Swiss legislation, it is required that the respective company doesn’t conduct business activities in Switzerland.
Switzerland has become a preferred destination for investors due to its taxation system, geographic and political position, low inflation, low unemployment rate as well as its competitive business environment.
The EU card it is basically a work and residence permit created by the European Union for the non-European citizens in order to allow them to work within European Union countries.
Switzerland, one of the most important travel destinations in Europe, boasts an exquisite grandeur, interesting traditions, and people with a firm reputation.
A trademark is a legally protected sign, used to distinguish products and services belonging to different businesses. Any graphic representations can be used as trademarks according to the law, including words, letter combinations, numericals, graphic images, slogans, three-dimensional forms, tones, or combinations of all these elements.
Taxes in Switzerland are levied at federal, cantonal and local level. Dividends and interests are a subject of the withholding tax, at a rate of 35%, however the withholding tax can be deducted in full, under certain conditions.
The cost of living in Switzerland is among the highest in the world, with the main cities Zurich and Geneva being named in the top 15 most expensive cities in the world in a 2019 study. On the other hand, Swiss salaries and the living standards are also among the highest in the world, which is the main reason why you should consider Switzerland a perfect location for work and living a quality life.