The Commercial Register/Trade Register in Switzerland – Contact Us

My Swiss Company SA – Corporate Services Provider in Switzerland offers a comprehensive range of services to assist companies in their registration and changes in the commercial register/trade register in all Swiss cantons such as Lucerne, Zug, Geneva, Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Zurich, and Aargau. Here are the main services:

Registration of new companies: My Swiss Company assists in preparing and submitting the necessary documents for the legal registration of Swiss companies, whether they are public limited companies, limited liability companies, or sole proprietorships. This includes assistance in drafting articles of association, executing required notarial deeds, and finalizing registration in the commercial register/trade register.

Management of changes: Changes represent crucial updates in a company’s life. My Swiss Company offers services to manage changes such as:

   – Name changes: Assistance in the procedure for changing the trade name or company name.

   – Address modifications: Updating the official address of the company or its establishments.

   – Changes in management members: Addition, removal, or modification of information regarding management members, Swiss directors, or authorized signatories.

   – Legal form modification: Transformation from a sole proprietorship to a limited liability company or a public limited company.

   – Increase or decrease of share capital: Assistance in the procedures to register changes in share capital.

   – Transfer of shares: Managing changes in ownership of shares.

   – Dissolution and liquidation: Assistance in voluntary or compulsory dissolution and liquidation processes.

   – Changes in the company’s purpose: Updates regarding the official activities or objectives of the company.

   – Other statutory modifications: Handling any other necessary modifications to reflect in the company’s articles of association.

 Consultation and ongoing assistance: My Swiss Company – Corporate Services Provider offers continuous support to help companies navigate the complex regulatory framework of commercial registers/trade registers in Switzerland, providing guidance on the legal, tax, and administrative implications of each stage of the registration and mutation process.

My Swiss Company positions itself as a reliable partner for Swiss or international companies wishing to establish or restructure in Switzerland, offering professional and personalized service to ensure compliance with legal requirements and regulations in force.

The Federal Commercial Register/Trade Register in Switzerland

The federal commercial register/trade register in Switzerland, managed by the Federal Office of the Commercial Register/Trade Register (FOCR), plays a central role in managing information about companies at the national level. This register serves several essential functions:

Legal publicity: The register provides transparency of commercial activities, allowing any interested party to verify the recorded data about companies. This includes information about the company name, address, legal form, share capital, as well as management members.

Legal certainty: The register helps secure commercial transactions by providing reliable information crucial for economic and legal activities. Entries in the commercial register/trade register are considered reliable and valid until proven otherwise, thereby facilitating confident business interactions.

Data centralization: Through Zefix, the central register of trade names, the FOCR provides access to up-to-date information on all registered companies in Switzerland. Zefix enables quick and efficient searches on companies, thus improving data access for business and the public.

Protection of the company name: Registration in the commercial register/trade register confers protection of the company name throughout Switzerland, which is crucial to avoid confusion and trademark conflicts.

Registration and update: The register ensures that all significant changes concerning companies, such as changes in management or legal structure, are duly recorded and published, thus ensuring that the available information reflects the current reality of the company.

The federal commercial register/trade register thus serves as a pivot for managing commercial data in Switzerland, ensuring transparency, legal security, and access to accurate information about the country’s entrepreneurial fabric. For more information, you can visit the website.

The Cantonal Commercial Register/Trade Register in Switzerland

Cantonal commercial registers/trade registers in Switzerland play a crucial role in managing and recording business data at the local level. Each Swiss canton has its own commercial register/trade register, totaling 28 cantonal registers across the country. Here are the main functions and peculiarities of these cantonal registers:

Local management: Cantonal registers are responsible for registering businesses based in their specific canton. They record information such as the company name, address, executives, legal form, and share capital.

Publication of changes: Any significant change in a company’s information must be recorded in the cantonal register. This includes changes in statutes, changes in management, capital increases or decreases, and more. These changes are also published in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (FOSC) to ensure public transparency.

Interface with the federal register: Although each cantonal register operates autonomously, they are all connected to the federal register, which centralizes information through the Zefix system. Zefix allows users to access data from all cantonal registers in a centralized and online manner.

Data access: Cantonal registers allow the public to access company data, often allowing them to order official extracts and documents such as statutes or certificates. This facilitates due diligence and legal checks for business and legal transactions.

The main difference between cantonal registers and the federal commercial register/trade register in Switzerland lies in their scope and management. The federal register centralizes and coordinates information on a national scale, mainly through the Zefix system, while cantonal registers manage the registration and updating of company data at a more localized level. This structure ensures both localized management tailored to local specificities and consistency and accessibility at the national level.

For companies, updating information in the register is not only a legal obligation but also a necessity to maintain transparency and legality in business operations. Typical changes include changes in name, address, management, legal structure, or share capital. Each change must be declared to the commercial register/trade register to ensure the accuracy of public information and compliance with regulations in force.

For more information on the Commercial Register/Trade Register in Switzerland, contact us to start your initial consultation now.

Fill out our contact form or call us at +41(0)22 566 82 44.

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