for foreign companies doing business in Switzerland

In control of cross-border trade

indirect tax + customs + trade law compliance for your business processes

Planning is a task you perform in advance - not afterwards

Swiss cross-border trade regulation compliance assumes planning.

Regardless whether a foreign company acts as supplying or as buying party, the company must have timely knowledge about the applicable Swiss regulations. None-compliance with the rules causes additional costs and often frustrates customer relationships.

Regularly, not sooner than when arriving at the border, or when actually performing the activities at hand, or after closure of the transaction(s), foreign companies become aware that the legal consequences are different from what was thought they would be.

Customs law

Importing in / exporting from Switzerland triggers all kind of legal consequences. Customs formalities have a kind of "point of no return". Beyond that point there are only limited options for redress.
Know who must or can act as importer/exporter, what is to be included in the customs declaration and what other issues need to be thought of.

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Tax liability

The Swiss tax system is not necessarily the same as systems of other countries. As a foreign company you cannot assume that reverse charge (VAT) exists or will apply, nor that the liability for other indirect taxes is the responsibility of the local contract party.
Indirect taxes are called "indirect" because of the way and of whom they are levied, meaning that these taxes will become costs when not correctly anticipated.

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Civil~, commercial~, labour law

Legal liabilities or obligations seldom come alone. Depending the activity a foreign company wants to perform in Switzerland, its legal position under Swiss law will be determined by various regulations. As commonly the case, such regulations will force a foreign entrepreneur to become active even before goods have passed a border or services have been rendered.

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Non-tariff barriers

Not only customs or tax regulations as such can give rise to barriers to trade. Also administrative procedures or legal requirements can effectively work as hindrances to trade.
Import licenses and their conditions for obtaining them, stricter standards for foreign companies in comparison to locally based companies, lack of transparent regulations, or reluctance of entities involved in the enforcement of regulations to requests for clarification or information, are examples of potential non-tariff barriers to trade.

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Deferred payment of Swiss import VAT

Swiss customs offers the facility of postponed payment of Swiss VAT at import with 60 days, and also enables the self management of the import documents.

Swiss customs law / VAT

Distance sales

Foreign retailers selling goods to customers in Switzerland will become compulsory liable for Swiss VAT when the turnover with so-called small items (= Swiss VAT at import max. CHF 5) exceeds CHF 100'000 annually.

Swiss VAT

Importer - Swiss customs / VAT

Not the chosen incoterms but rather the Swiss customs and VAT provisions will determine who is regarded as importer. Be aware which transactions require the foreign supplier to act as importer, and why.

Swiss customs law / VAT

Posted workers

Business activities in Switzerland that require sending employees or independent workers to Switzerland, are an additional challenge that can be managed -provided the necessary preparatory steps are (timely) taken.

Swiss labour law / free movement of persons

process management and Swiss VAT or customs

Indirect taxes & business process management

Complying with regulations that apply at border crossing or domestic transactions implies that your company not only must have a clear understanding of what happens at each stage of the supply chain, but also that it is able to control each step of the supply chain. Experience shows that a company cannot do without a single reference manual.

Swiss VAT

Temporary import

When application of special customs facilities for temporary import is useful or necessary, it is important to know what to expect in terms of advantages (e.g. ATA-carnet), obligations (security) or tax treatment (e.g. afterwards levy of VAT at import on so-called rental value).

Swiss customs law / VAT

Compulsory or voluntary VAT liability

A VAT registration may be needed or recommendable depending the undertaken business activities. This issue will also rise when supplies of subcontractors are only recharged.

Swiss VAT

Does reverse-charge of Swiss VAT exist?

A common misunderstanding among foreign suppliers is to expect a reverse-charge mechanism similar to those found in VAT systems of various EU member states.

Swiss VAT

import and export documentation Switzerland

Import / export documentation

Customs formalities in connection with flows of goods are documented procedures, and need to be prepared in advance and supervised afterwards.

Swiss customs law

news

the legal framework is constantly developing

be aware of the changes that will effect foreign companies' business activities in Switzerland

Upcoming changes 2024 - Swiss customs

As of 1 January 2024, the normal customs duty rate for industrial products will lowered to 0%. This will make imports for.....

upcoming changes 2024, 2025 - swiss vat

As of 1 January 2024, the tax rates will change to 8.1% (standard rate), 2.6% (reduced rate) and 3.8% (accommodation). Furthermore,....

changes 2024 - swiss vat - security

In order to make Switzerland more attractive for foreign companies, the Swiss tax authorities will as of 2024 waive the requirement to post a security....

posted workers - changes as of 2023

Foreign companies that post workers to Switzerland, or use subcontractor that do so, should take notice of the extended liability that has come into effect.....

Get In Touch

If you have questions you are kindly requested to send your query to the general email address of VAT plus.
Do not send unsolicited offers for supply of services or goods, as these offers will be ignored.

VAT plus GmbH
Jubiläumsstrasse 18
3005 Bern
Switzerland
office@vatplus.ch
+41 31 312 27 54