Employ your Swiss-based hire without a Swiss entity.
We become the Swiss employer of record for your senior hire and take care of the employment contract, payroll, pension and insurances. We even cover the one thing other providers skip: your employee's personal Swiss taxes.
Why you can't just pay them as a contractor
Four steps to a compliant Swiss employment
What's included and what isn't
A monthly cycle you never have to manage
Everything runs through the Taxolution Payroll portal. Your employee confirms the month, the invoice reaches you the same day, and payroll follows. There is nothing for your HR or finance team to operate.
Preview of the Taxolution Payroll portal. Employers get their own view with invoices, team and cost overview.
The Swiss payroll service that also files your employee's tax return.
Above CHF 120,000 of annual income, Switzerland requires a full tax return even from employees taxed at source, so your hire will have to file one. Most payroll providers stop at the payslip and leave your employee alone with cantonal forms in German or French.
We are a tax firm first. Every engagement starts with a free assessment of the employee's tax situation: whether they must file, and what is taxable in Switzerland and what isn't. The annual return itself is prepared by Taxolution's team, fully digital via the MyTaxolution portal, and the standard filing fee is covered by the monthly fee.
One flat fee, no percentage games
Percentage pricing punishes you for paying well. We charge one flat monthly fee per employee that covers everything above. Employer social charges of roughly 9–14% on gross salary are passed through at cost and itemized on every invoice.
From expat taxes to expat payroll
Taxolution has worked exclusively with expats in Switzerland since 2014 and is one of the country's leading advisories for expat taxes. Employment questions followed naturally: for years the team has set up international work arrangements for clients, from ANobAG registrations to direct employment for EU companies hiring here. Demand for a full-service option kept growing, and Taxolution Payroll is the answer. Swiss employment, payroll and personal tax under one roof, in English, fully digital.
What employers want to know
What exactly is an employer of record, and is it legal in Switzerland?
An employer of record (EOR) legally employs staff on behalf of another company. In Switzerland the structure is known as staff leasing (Personalverleih) and is well established across the economy. Your hire gets a Swiss employment contract; you keep full direction of their day-to-day work.
Who is my hire's legal employer?
Taxolution Payroll becomes the legal Swiss employer. Your hire gets a Swiss employment contract with full employee protections, and you keep day-to-day direction of their work. The operating legal entity is named in the imprint.
What does it cost all-in?
A flat CHF 1,250 per month per employee for salaries up to CHF 350,000, and CHF 1,900 above that, since employer obligations scale with the salary. Swiss employer social charges of roughly 9 to 14% on gross salary are passed through at cost. You receive one monthly invoice, at 0% Swiss VAT for foreign legal entities. The calculator shows every line.
Why not just pay them as a freelancer?
Full-time work for a single company is employment in substance. Swiss authorities can reclassify freelance setups as bogus self-employment (Scheinselbständigkeit) and back-charge years of social contributions, and the employee loses unemployment cover in the meantime.
Does the employee need a work permit? Can you sponsor one?
The employee must already have the right to live and work in Switzerland: Swiss or EU/EFTA citizenship, or a valid B or C permit. We do not sponsor permits or handle relocation. For migration questions we refer you to immigration law firms we have worked with for many years.
How are the employee's taxes handled?
We administer Quellensteuer (Swiss withholding tax) where it applies. Every engagement starts with a free assessment of the employee's tax situation, and the annual Swiss tax return is prepared by Taxolution's tax team with the standard filing fee covered.
How long does setup take, and when should we get in touch?
Typical setup takes 4 to 8 weeks for contracts, registrations and insurance enrolment. Two to three months before the start date is the ideal time to submit your request.
What about pension (BVG) if the employee has foreign coverage?
Occupational pension (BVG) is part of every Swiss employment from day one. For employees with existing EU/EFTA pension arrangements, coordination rules can apply. We look at this in the free assessment.
Could we employ the person directly from abroad instead?
Sometimes, yes, and the route depends on where your company sits. Employers in the EU or EFTA can register with Swiss social security as a foreign employer and employ the person directly, paying the Swiss contributions. For employers outside the EU/EFTA, the employee registers as an ANobAG (an employee without a contribution-liable employer) and handles the contributions themselves. Both routes leave Swiss payroll, filings and employment administration with you or your employee. Taxolution has set up both arrangements for clients for years, and we tell you honestly which route fits your case.
Starting in a few months? That's exactly the right time.
Swiss employment setups need lead time for contracts, registrations and insurance enrolment. If the start date is two or three months out, you're right on schedule. Submit your request now and everything is ready on day one.