Starting a sole proprietorship
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Want to start your own business? A sole proprietorship is the simplest and most affordable legal structure for self-employed individuals. Here, you’ll learn what steps are required, what you need to keep in mind, and what insurance you should get.
The most important points at a glance
- No minimum capital required.
- A sole proprietorship is automatically established when you begin business operations.
- If your annual turnover exceeds 100,000 Swiss francs, you must register with the Commercial Register.
- You are personally and fully liable with your business and personal assets.• Your sole proprietorship is legally capable of acting once business operations have commenced.
Requirements and Guidelines
- No statutory minimum capital is required.
- The business can be operated using your own
- financial resources or contributed assets.
- The business name must include your last name.
- You may add suffixes to your name (e.g., »Müller
- Consulting,” »Müller + Partner”).
How to proceed
Use the accordion controls to toggle the visibility of each panel (below the controls).
Choose a name for your sole proprietorship.
Important: The business name must include your last name. You can add suffixes to your name that describe your business activities.
No special incorporation procedure with a public deed is required.
Once you begin operations, your sole proprietorship is legally capable of acting.
Register your business with the Zurich Commercial Registry if your annual turnover exceeds 100,000 Swiss francs.
Below this revenue threshold, registration is optional.
Register with the SVA Zürich (Kompetenzzentrum für Sozialversicherungen im Kanton Zürich) or an association compensation fund as a self-employed person.
This ensures you are registered with the Old Age Pension Fund (AHV) as a self-employed person and can pay contributions.
Check with the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) to see if you are subject to VAT.
This obligation generally applies to annual turnover of 100,000 Swiss francs or more.
Take out insurance:
Take out the necessary social insurance and liability insurance. These protect you and your business activities.
Note: The information on this page is provided for general guidance and is not exhaustive. In each specific case, you must individually verify the legal, tax, and organizational requirements. This applies in particular to capital requirements, articles of association, audit requirements, and liability.
Contact
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