Switzerland
Family-office jurisdiction of record; discreet, well-banked, stable.
Switzerland is the jurisdiction of record for cross-border family wealth. Political stability, currency strength, banking depth, discretion and a mature tax-ruling culture make it the default long-term custody jurisdiction for the world's HNW families.
The country is expensive, deliberate and formal — a Swiss engagement is a fifty-year decision, not a five-year one. That is precisely its value proposition.
Where Switzerland fits
- Family offices
- Holding
- Foundations
Banking landscape
Swiss private banking is the deepest in the world. UBS (post-Credit Suisse integration), Julius Baer, Pictet, Lombard Odier, Vontobel, EFG and a long tail of cantonal and private specialists all serve international HNW clients. Minimums are usually $2m–$5m for tier-one desks; ultra-HNW desks require $25m+.
Tax & reporting
Corporate tax varies 12–21% by canton (Zug, Nidwalden and Schwyz at the lower end; Geneva and Zurich at the higher end). Cantonal ruling culture allows negotiated arrangements for holding, mixed-company and principal-company structures. Personal tax is cantonal, negotiated for wealthy incoming residents via the lump-sum (forfait) regime.
Substance & register visibility
Swiss substance is real and expensive — office, local directors, board activity, staff. Ruling arrangements require genuine operational substance in the cantons that grant them.
When to pick this jurisdiction
Pick Switzerland when the family needs long-term custody, when a lump-sum tax residence is being established, when Swiss private banking is the primary custody solution, or when a mixed-company/principal-company ruling can be genuinely justified.
Written up as a comparative shortlist.
Every Switzerland recommendation is delivered as a comparative memorandum — substance defensibility, banking access, treaty coverage, register visibility, cost to maintain and reputational risk — so the client can see the trade-offs before committing.
Considering Switzerland? Get a written comparison first.
Answer six questions and a director will come back with a shortlist, indicative costs and banking route.
Questions we hear on every Switzerland intake.
- What is the lump-sum (forfait) regime?
- A cantonal tax regime for wealthy incoming residents not gainfully employed in Switzerland. Tax is calculated on deemed living expenses rather than worldwide income, subject to a minimum floor negotiated per canton.
- Can US persons still bank in Switzerland?
- Yes, at a small subset of banks that maintain US-compliant desks. Onboarding is longer, fees are higher, and reporting under FATCA is automatic.
- Which canton is best for a holding company?
- Zug, Nidwalden and Schwyz for headline tax rates. Geneva and Zurich for banking and international HR access. Choice depends on where the real substance sits.
More Europe jurisdictions & related insights
Every engagement begins with a twenty-minute director-led call. Fixed fees, in writing, before any work begins.