The sole proprietorship is the most popular legal form in Switzerland. At Jurata, we'll explain why and set it up for you, including the best price guarantee.
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The most popular legal form of founders in Switzerland is a sole proprietorship. There are many reasons for this. Startups are pleased with the quick and easy founding of a company or the fact that no minimum capital is required.
In our article, you will learn the most important facts about setting up a sole proprietorship in Switzerland. We will explain to you what needs to be considered and how you can best proceed when setting up a sole proprietorship.
The sole proprietorship is one of the most popular legal forms in Switzerland without its own legal personality. Does a natural person operate a Business in a commercial sense And are the prerequisites for a self-employed activity fulfilled, we speak of a sole proprietorship.
💡 From a Business in a commercial sense You speak when the activity is aimed at generating sales or profit.
💡 Criteria for self-employment are: several clients, acting on the market under their own name, in an independent position, investments already made on their own account and at their own economic risk.
In principle, sole proprietorships in Switzerland can be set up without much effort. You do not need any start-up capital to set up. The sole proprietorship is then very suitable for setting up Startupsif the activity carried out is particularly related to the owner. This is also reflected in the company name of the sole proprietorship. The name of the owner must be included.
In contrast to AG and ltd Requires the Sole proprietorship no start-up capital and there are also no start-up costs. Starting capital of CHF 100,000 is required for the company and CHF 20,000 for the GmbH. Depending on the costs involved, the start-up costs amount to several thousand francs.
By buying shares or common shares, it is possible to invest in an AG or GmbH. This is not possible with a sole proprietorship. that sole proprietorship is linked to the person and, if the If owner changes, the previous transaction is “deleted”.
Both at AG and ltd In addition, must various legal regulations are complied with in terms of bodies, meetings, accounting and auditing. There are only very limited regulations in this regard for sole proprietorships in Switzerland. For example, the sole proprietorship only has to be entered in the commercial register with an annual turnover of CHF 100,000 and the accounting obligation only applies from an annual turnover of CHF 500,000.
☝️ Even though the Commercial register entry is only required from an annual turnover of CHF 100,000, it is advisable to register in the commercial register from the outset. This creates trust with potential new customers, as they can find out what your sole proprietorship is doing, where it is domiciled and who the owner is.
In contrast to the sole proprietorship, where the Individual entrepreneur with all his assets is liable for business liabilities, the shareholders or shareholders are only liable with the capital invested.
Die sole proprietorship Is the most popular legal form in Switzerland. However, setting up a sole proprietorship does not always make sense. Before you start a company, you need to consider what the project and purpose of the company is.
💡 If your sole proprietorship depends on your activity, has little risk and is still unclear how the business is developing, the sole proprietorship is suitable as a start-up.
Other questions you should ask yourself before setting up a company in Switzerland include the intended size and target group of the start-up. A sole proprietorship is ideal for small and regional companies. If you are aiming for a larger reach, the GmbH or AG is probably more suitable.
We from Jurata We specialize in setting up companies, in particular establishing sole proprietorships. We offer you a comprehensive start-up package for just CHF 150 on. If you are still unsure whether the sole proprietorship is the right legal form for you, we offer you a free consultation on.
As already mentioned, a sole proprietorship is a very popular legal form, particularly when setting up companies. So what convinces people who want to found a startup to found a start-up in the form of a sole proprietorship?
Despite the many advantages, the legal form of a sole proprietorship also has disadvantages.
A significant disadvantage is sole responsibility and personal liability for business debts. Other disadvantages include more difficult access to loans from financial institutions, the company name that cannot be freely selected and the obligation to keep simplified accounting. In addition, as a sole trader, you are not entitled to unemployment benefits if the order situation is currently insufficient.
We have put together the most important points that you should consider before and during the founding of a start-up in the form of a sole proprietorship in Switzerland. Of course, this information is also useful if you already own a sole proprietorship.
As already mentioned, it is necessary to set up a sole proprietorship in Switzerland no minimum capital necessary. In other words, if the conditions for a sole proprietorship are met, the sole proprietorship has been founded. However, we recommend that you carry out precise and comprehensive budget planning before starting self-employment. This prevents unpleasant surprises.
Ganz gratis Is the foundation nonetheless not, because the founding of the company costs you valuable zeit. At Jurata, we specialize in setting up sole proprietorships in Switzerland so that you can concentrate fully on your work. Benefit from comprehensive Start-up package for sole proprietorships for just CHF 150.
❗ It can take weeks or months for the first incoming payments from customers to reach your account. You must therefore have a financial cushion if you venture into self-employment.
When choosing the company name You're not completely free. Yours surname It must be part of the company name. In addition, the first name, the job or even imaginary names are permitted.
It is worthwhile to make sure that the desired company name is available in advance at Central federal company index (Zefix). We from Jurata We would be happy to do this clarification for you.
💡 In addition to checking in Zefix, it also makes sense to check the availability of the desired web domain.
In contrast to a GmbH or AG, the registration of your sole proprietorship in commercial register not necessary for the start-up. However, it is mandatory from a turnover of CHF 100,000.
Die Registering your sole proprietorship However, it may be useful earlier. This makes your company publicly visible. This creates trust with business partners, customers and suppliers.
💡 Especially if you want to open a business account or mailbox or set up a business number, it is an advantage to have your startup registered in the commercial register.
In Switzerland, the AHV responsible for the recognition of self-employment. A form must be completed for this. The AHV then checks whether you are working professionally and on your own account or whether it is a secondary job.
To register, AHV may require various documents, which you must then also submit, such as a description of your project; your own website; a business card; offers made to potential customers; invoices issued to customers or the existence of liability insurance.
💡 It is not possible to register in advance as a self-employed person. This means that you have already taken up self-employment and must be able to prove this before you can register with AHV.
If you are the owner of a sole proprietorship, only the State pension (AHV, IV, EO) mandatory. Joining a pension fund and taking out accident insurance is voluntary but still advisable. In addition, liability and property insurance are mandatory for some sectors.
When you Employ employees, is registration with Compensation fund mandatory and occupational accident insurance (BU) must be taken out. This applies regardless of workload. People who work more than 8 hours a week must also be insured against accidents during leisure time (NBU).
Employees who earn at least CHF 21,510 per year must pension fund be connected. In this case, the occupational pension plan (BVG) is mandatory for your employees.
❗️ As a self-employed person and owner of a sole proprietorship, you cannot register for unemployment insurance. This means that you are generally not entitled to unemployment benefits if you (have to) give up your job.
It is possible that your sole proprietorship of VAT liability subject to. If you generate sales of less than CHF 100,000 per year in Switzerland, there is no obligation to subject yourself to VAT. However, voluntary submission is permitted.
💡 As a sole proprietorship, you may not be subject to VAT even with an annual turnover of more than CHF 100,000. To find out whether you are subject to VAT, you can visit the website of Federal Tax Administration be helpful.
As Specialist in setting up sole proprietorships We are happy to assist you with questions and ambiguities relating to insurance and VAT.
As you can see, there are a few things to consider before setting up a sole proprietorship in Switzerland. Founding is certainly easier and cheaper than, for example, setting up ltd. Nevertheless, it is important to weigh up all opportunities and risks that self-employment entails.
We from Jurata We specialize in creating start-ups for startups so straightforward to do as much as possible. Set up your sole proprietorship with us now, online and with few clicks.
The original text was translated from german to english by machine translation.
Before her studies, Karin Baader completed her training as a bank clerk, including a vocational diploma, and then completed the passerelle at Kirschgarten Gymnasium in Basel. She received her master's degree in law from the University of Basel. During her studies, she initially worked part-time at a bank. She later worked, among other things, as a lawyer's assistant and research assistant at the Department of Private Law in Basel.
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