[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
In December 2023, the Swiss Parliament adopted a major reform aimed at increasing transparency among legal entities. This revision of the law on legal persons reflects Switzerland’s commitment to aligning with international standards, particularly those of the\u00a0<\/span>Financial Action Task Force (FATF)<\/strong>. One of the key measures of this reform is the creation of a\u00a0<\/span>central register of beneficial owners<\/strong>. Here\u2019s what it means for Swiss companies.<\/p>\n A beneficial owner is a\u00a0<\/span>natural person<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>who directly or indirectly owns or controls\u00a0<\/span>more than 25%<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>of a company, or who otherwise exercises\u00a0<\/span>effective control<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>over it. The goal is to\u00a0<\/span>identify the real individuals behind legal structures<\/strong>, even when ownership chains are complex.<\/p>\n The register will be maintained by a\u00a0<\/span>federal authority<\/strong>, most likely the\u00a0<\/span>Federal Office of Justice (FOJ)<\/strong>. It will\u00a0<\/span>not be accessible to the public<\/strong>, but\u00a0<\/span>competent Swiss authorities<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>(financial intermediaries, fiduciaries, tax authorities, public prosecutors, MROS, etc.) will have access to it.<\/p>\n Companies will be required to:<\/p>\n Identify<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>their beneficial owners,<\/p>\n Submit<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>this information to the register via an intermediary (e.g., a fiduciary\/corporate services provider<\/a> or lawyer),<\/p>\n Update<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>the information in case of changes (e.g., transfer of shares, new control structure),<\/p>\n Keep appropriate documentation<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>of the checks carried out.<\/p>\n Failure to comply with these obligations can result in\u00a0<\/span>fines of up to CHF 500,000<\/strong>. Company directors and board members may be held personally liable in the event of serious breaches.<\/p>\n The implementation of the Swiss register of beneficial owners is planned for\u00a0<\/span>2026<\/strong>, with the\u00a0<\/span>implementing ordinances still in preparation<\/strong>. Existing companies will be given a\u00a0<\/span>transitional period<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>to comply with the new requirements.<\/p>\n As a corporate services provider,\u00a0<\/span>My Swiss Company SA<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>supports its clients in identifying beneficial owners, setting up internal verification procedures, and preparing for the submission of data to the register once it becomes operational.<\/p>\n Feel free to contact us to\u00a0<\/span>anticipate these new obligations<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>and ensure full compliance.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The register of beneficial owners, scheduled to come into force in 2026, will record the individuals who control more than 25% of a company. Managed by a federal authority, the register will not be public, but will be accessible to competent Swiss authorities. Companies will be required to identify, declare, and update this information or face sanctions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8221,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[51],"class_list":["post-8232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-administration","tag-en"],"rank_math":{"rank_math_title":"The Swiss Register of Beneficial Owners","rank_math_description":"The Swiss Register of Beneficial Owners , to come into force in 2026, will record the individuals who control more than 25% of a company","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Swiss Register Beneficial Owners"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8232"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14090,"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8232\/revisions\/14090"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Contents<\/h3>\n
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What is a beneficial owner?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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A central register, not public but accessible to authorities<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Swiss company obligations<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Sanctions for non-compliance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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When does this obligation come into force?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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How can we help?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Sources<\/h2>\n
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