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Company Formation in Lucerne
Updated on Monday 25th March 2019 Rate this article
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Lucerne can become a great business destination for opening a company in Switzerland. The canton of Lucerne is characterized by a wide range of business activities, some of its main industries being represented by tourism, agriculture, metalworking, pharmaceuticals and the health industries or the construction sector. Investors can find relevant business opportunities in sectors such as the computer science and communication, real estate market or the financial sector. Regardless of the economic sector in which local of foreign businessmen will choose to invest in Lucerne, our team of specialists in company formation in Switzerland can provide extensive assistance on the registration procedure, the business permits required for a specific industry or on drafting company documents.
What are the main business forms in Lucerne?
One of the first aspects that must be decided when starting the procedure of company formation in Switzerland is the legal entity under which the future business will operate. The company types that can be set up in Lucerne are the same as the ones prescribed by the country’s national commercial law. Thus, investors can choose from the following:
- • limited liability company – the company can be set up with a minimum share capital of CHF 20,000 and with minimum one shareholder;
- • public limited company – it requires a larger capital, of CHF 100,000 and it represents a popular way for starting a business here, including for foreign companies expanding on the local market;
- • general partnership – it must be set up by at least two natural persons and it does not prescribe any requirements concerning the minimum share capital;
- • sole trader – a business structure that is set up by a single natural person, who must have his or her residency in Switzerland;
- • limited partnership – it requires at least two founders (partners) who have different liability levels (one has limited liability over the company’s debts, while the other has unlimited liability).
Choosing a branch office or a subsidiary in Lucerne
Another way to open a company in Switzerland is to register a branch office or a subsidiary. These are also popular vehicles used by foreign companies when investing here. The decision of opening a branch office or a subsidiary should be based on several factors.
The parent company can register a branch office if it wants to have full responsibility regarding the activity of the branch operating in Lucerne, Switzerland; it also necessary to know that the branch does not represent a legal entity, unlike the subsidiary, which is treated from a legal and tax point of view as a Swiss company.
What are the main steps for opening a company in Lucerne?
One of the first steps that have to be completed when opening a company in Lucerne or in any other Swiss canton is to register with the Commercial Register. The registration with the institution will require investors to submit a set of company documents. Some of the information that has to be provided in this case refers to the company’s share capital (depending on the selected legal entity) or the business activities that will be developed in Lucerne.
The founders of the company will have to draft and sign the company’s statutory documents. For example, in the case of a limited liability company, one of the most common ways to start a business in Switzerland, the founding documents are represented by the articles of association; our team of consultants in company registration in Switzerland can provide in-depth information on the provisions of this document.
Any company in Switzerland must have a trading name, which has to be unique at the level of the Swiss territory. Investors will have to propose a trading name that should satisfy the legal requirements stipulated in this sense. The registration procedure also requires opening a corporate bank account at a local bank in Lucerne, that will be used for depositing the minimum share capital.
Another common step when starting the procedure of Swiss company formation is to register for taxation purposes. Since the company is a commercial entity, it is legally required to pay taxes, as stipulated by the tax legislation applicable in Lucerne.
What are the main corporate taxes in Lucerne?
As we specified above, any legal entity has to pay a certain level of taxes to the local authorities. Lucerne stands out as the Swiss canton with the lowest corporate tax level, which is imposed at federal, cantonal and municipal levels.
Each Swiss canton has its own level of taxation (although companies have to pay the same types of taxes) and in Lucerne, the corporate tax varies between 11.2 – 12.3%, depending on the regions of the canton where a business operates. The highest corporate tax, of 12.3%, is applicable in the city of Lucerne. Businessmen are invited to contact our team of consultants in company registration in Switzerland for more information on the corporate tax system available in Lucerne.
Meet us in Zug
Paul Gheorghiu is one of our experienced company formation agents. He will help you register your company in Switzerland as fast as possible.
Call us now at +41 41 266 0070 to set up an appointment with our experts in Zug, Switzerland. As a Sig Fiduciaire client, you will beneficiate from the expertise of our local consultants for opening a company in Switzerland.
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- cost-efficiency: competitive company formation prices;
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