Corporate & Personal Tax Advisory

Corporate tax advisory in Zürich — effective rate 19.7%, fixed fees

Canton Zürich's combined federal and cantonal corporate tax rate is approximately 19.7% — one of the most competitive in Europe. We prepare tax returns, plan your effective rate, and represent you before the ESTV.

Zürich cantonal + federal corporate tax returns
Tax planning and effective rate optimisation
ESTV ruling requests and dispute representation
Fixed fee — no hourly billing

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19.7%Zürich effective tax rate
CHF 149Starting price/month
48 hrsRuling request turnaround
8 yrsZürich expertise

Where Swiss companies lose money on tax

Most Swiss companies overpay tax — not because rates are high, but because deductions are missed and structures are suboptimal. These are the six most common issues.

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Missing deductions

Swiss law allows deductions for depreciation, provisions, staff costs, and R&D. Most companies claim less than they are entitled to because their accountant does not specialise in tax.

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Cantonal rate shopping

Each Swiss canton has a different tax rate. Zürich's ~19.7% is competitive, but your holding structure or registered office location can make a significant difference.

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Participation exemption

Swiss companies holding at least 10% of another company's capital can apply the Beteiligungsabzug to dividends and capital gains. Many companies fail to claim it correctly.

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IP box regime

Since 2020, Switzerland offers an IP box allowing qualifying patent income to be taxed at a reduced rate. Software patents, registered designs, and supplementary protection certificates may qualify.

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Tax ruling requests

Advance certainty on a complex transaction protects you from retrospective reassessment. We draft and submit rulings to both cantonal and federal tax authorities.

ESTV audits

When the ESTV or cantonal tax authority proposes a reassessment, you need professional representation. We handle all correspondence and negotiate on your behalf.

Tax services — from return to ruling

We handle the full tax lifecycle — filing, planning, rulings, and disputes.

From tax position to filed return

Four steps — from reviewing your position to receiving filed confirmation from the ESTV.

01

Tax position review

We review your prior year accounts, existing structure, and current deductions. We identify missed opportunities and quantify the potential saving.

02

Return preparation

We prepare the full cantonal and federal tax return, all annexes, and supporting documentation. You review and approve before submission.

03

Filing & confirmation

Return submitted electronically. We monitor for authority queries and respond within 24 hours. Payment plan arranged where beneficial.

04

Planning for next year

Post-filing, we advise on timing of deductions, depreciation policy, and structural changes that improve your position for the following year.

Fixed fees — no hourly billing

A flat fee covers your annual tax return and all related correspondence. Complex advisory billed at a fixed project rate agreed upfront.

Startup
CHF 149/month

Annual corporate tax return for simple single-entity companies. All eligible deductions claimed.

  • Cantonal + federal tax return
  • All standard deductions
  • Tax assessment review
  • Email support
Get started
Enterprise
Custom

Group tax returns, transfer pricing documentation, ruling requests, and ESTV audit support.

  • Group tax returns
  • Transfer pricing docs
  • IP box analysis
  • Ruling requests
  • ESTV audit representation
Request quote

"Our previous accountant filed our tax return in two hours. The new team spent two days on it, claimed the participation exemption we had missed for three years, and recovered CHF 47'000. The fee paid itself many times over."

Bruno Meier
CEO, holding AG, Zürich

Swiss corporate tax — your questions

The combined federal, cantonal, and municipal corporate income tax rate for a company based in the City of Zürich is approximately 19.70% on net profit. The federal rate is 8.5% on profit after tax (approx. 7.83% pre-tax equivalent). Zürich canton and city add the remaining burden. This is among the lower rates in Switzerland — Zug is lower at ~11.85%, but Zürich offers better infrastructure and talent access.
Deductible items include all business-related expenses, staff costs, rent, depreciation on assets (rates set by ESTV), provisions for identifiable future liabilities, interest on debt (subject to thin capitalisation rules), R&D deductions (150% superdeduction available since 2024), and charitable contributions within limits. We review every category to ensure nothing is missed.
The Beteiligungsabzug (participation exemption) allows Swiss companies holding at least 10% of another company's equity to effectively exempt qualifying dividends and capital gains from corporate income tax. The tax reduction is calculated as a proportion of qualifying income to total income. We assess eligibility and calculate the exemption correctly in every return.
Since January 2020, Swiss cantons (including Zürich) offer an IP box regime allowing qualifying net income from patents and similar rights to be taxed at a reduced rate. The effective tax saving depends on the canton — Zürich's IP box reduces the cantonal tax on qualifying IP income by up to 90%. Software may qualify if protected by a patent or supplementary protection certificate.
Yes. We handle all ESTV and cantonal tax authority correspondence, respond to information requests, prepare documentation, and attend meetings on your behalf. If an assessment is issued that we consider incorrect, we file a formal objection (Einsprache) and, if necessary, pursue the appeal process (Beschwerde) to the cantonal tax court.

Pay the right amount of tax — not a franc more.

Book a free 30-minute tax consultation. We review your position, identify deductions you are missing, and quote a fixed fee for the work.