Switzerland
Swiss civil-law foundation for wealth, philanthropy and protocol governance.
Key Benefits
Once assets are transferred to a Swiss Foundation, they are legally "orphaned" from the founder’s personal estate. Because the foundation has no owners, the assets are shielded from personal creditors, future legal liabilities, and even forced-heirship claims in many jurisdictions. This creates a robust "firewall" that preserves wealth for generations.
Establishing a foundation in Switzerland sends a powerful signal of stability and long-term intent. Regulated by the Swiss Civil Code and overseen by federal or cantonal authorities, these entities are viewed with the highest level of respect by global banks, international organizations, and government bodies.
A foundation is designed to outlive its founder. It provides a stable legal framework to ensure that your values, business philosophy, or charitable goals are carried out exactly as intended for decades or even centuries. It is the gold standard for family offices looking to avoid the "fragmentation" of assets that often occurs during traditional inheritance.
While the Swiss system is transparent to its regulators, it maintains a high degree of privacy from the general public. For family foundations, the "Supervisory Board" oversight is designed to ensure the founder’s wishes are respected without exposing the family’s private financial architecture to public scrutiny.
Tax Overview
Corporate Tax
Depends on Canton and city but exemptions exist for charitable Foundations
Capital/Wealth Tax
Withholding Tax
Refundable or reducible based on treaties
Formation Process
This initial phase involves the drafting of the Foundation Charter and internal regulations. We focus on defining the foundation’s specific purpose and beneficiary classes to ensure long-term stability. During this time, we also finalize the appointment of the board of trustees and ensure the mandatory local representation is in place.
A dedicated Capital Deposit Account is established at a Swiss bank to hold the initial endowment—typically a minimum of CHF 50,000. The bank conducts a standard review of the funding source before issuing the official Capital Contribution Certificate, which serves as the legal prerequisite for the next stage.
Once the capital is confirmed, a Public Notary formally executes the Foundation Deed. This document serves as the foundation's birth certificate, legally dedicating the assets to the defined purpose. This stage can be completed remotely via Power of Attorney, ensuring the founder does not need to be physically present.
The notarized deed is submitted to the Cantonal Commercial Register for entry into the public record. The registry verifies that the structure complies with the Swiss Civil Code. Upon approval and publication in the Official Gazette of Commerce, the foundation gains full legal personality.
In the final step, the bank receives the registry extract and converts the deposit account into a functional corporate account. The endowment is released for the foundation’s activities, and the entity is officially ready to hold assets, execute its purpose, and enter into international agreements.
Pricing
Formation Package
$4,030
Annual Maintenance
$4,745/year
Add-ons
Learn More
A Foundation (Switzerland) is a highly credible, supervised civil-law structure widely used for family wealth, charitable activity and, increasingly, protocol and ecosystem governance. It has separate legal personality, no shareholders and a board that must follow its stated purpose. Swiss foundations benefit from strong rule of law, predictable regulation and potential tax relief where genuine public-benefit objects are pursued, making them attractive to institutional donors and serious Web3 teams.
Formation of a Foundation (Switzerland) in Switzerland typically takes 4-10 Weeks once KYC documents have been submitted and verified.
The formation package starts at $4,030. Annual maintenance is $4,745/year. All-inclusive — no hidden fees.
Switzerland applies the following taxes to this entity type: Corporate Tax: 11.9%-21% (Depends on Canton and city but exemptions exist for charitable Foundations). Capital/Wealth Tax: .01-0.5% varying by Canton. Withholding Tax: 35% (Refundable or reducible based on treaties).
The package includes: Legal Setup & Filing, Commercial Registry, Initial Foundation Board Meeting.
Form your Foundation (Switzerland) in Switzerland and have your entity ready in 4-10 Weeks.
Entity Engine is a private facilitation platform, not a government agency or law firm. Information is general only (not legal/tax advice). Filings are completed by regulated third-party partners. Terms.