contracting in Switzerland

**NotAllThere** · 4 August 2016, 16:17

You can't use your own company to work for any significant time in Switzerland. It costs a few thousand francs to set up your own ltd co. You need 20K seed money to put into you company to start it. In some cantons, you have to buy an insurance bond to protect your employees. Dividend income is taxed. You can't operate as a freelancer without at least 3 separate clients.

Best bet is to go through a payroll company if you're not planning to immigrate.

If you're in Basel, I can recommend an accountant.

**Bee** · 4 August 2016, 16:22

Originally posted by cont1 View Post

Hi,
I am in final stages of negotiation and I am trying to work out the best way to set myself up. The client is happy for me to either contract as a company or as a freelance worker. Does anyone have experience of either and can provide pros and cons? Can anyone recommend their swiss accountant?
Thank you very much.

If you have to choose an Umbrella company run away from Great Central...

**northernladuk** · 4 August 2016, 16:30

Originally posted by Bee View Post

If you have to choose an Umbrella company run away from Great Central...

Care to expand and provide evidence?

**Bee** · 4 August 2016, 16:36

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

Care to expand and provide evidence?

Don't be ridiculous and don't tell me what to do. If he wants more info I will provide by PM.

**stek** · 4 August 2016, 17:43

Originally posted by Bee View Post

Don't be ridiculous and don't tell me what to do. If he wants more info I will provide by PM.

Surely the purpose of a forum is to share information? We get this PM shiite on immigrationboards where the opinion is owt shared on PM is likely to be some sort of scam.

**northernladuk** · 4 August 2016, 18:03

So my post gets deleted but Bee's trash stays. Nice.

Guess I just wait for my infraction now.

**Old Greg** · 4 August 2016, 19:02

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

So my post gets deleted but Bee's trash stays. Nice.

Guess I just wait for my infraction now.

**NotAllThere** · 5 August 2016, 04:56

Originally posted by Bee View Post

If you have to choose an Umbrella company run away from Great Central...

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

Care to expand and provide evidence?

Originally posted by Bee View Post

Don't be ridiculous and don't tell me what to do. If he wants more info I will provide by PM.

If you are going publicly encourage people to stay away from a certain company, you need to also publicly give a reason. That can be opinion (I think...) or personal anecdote, but cannot slander the company (e.g. calling them a bunch of con-men, scam-artists etc.)

It is not unreasonable at all for NLUK to ask for more information. Which he has done concisely and politely. Unlike your reaction, which was defensive and quite rude.

**cont1** · 5 August 2016, 10:25

Thanks all
So I am moving to Switzerland - this is a one year contract and I will leave the UK and take up a swiss address. It doesn't bother me to open a swiss company - I have a desire to build up some training clients on the side. I just don't know how much of that I need to do early on in order to satisfy the swiss tax folk that I am a business (surely many businesses start with just one client!)
Recs for umbrella companies / agencies welcome.
Any other options other than via an intermediary? I have the option to contract directly as a freelancer but i don't really understand the ins and outs of this approach yet.
Any Geneva based contractors who can recommend an accountant?
Thank you again

contracting in Switzerland