Working freelance in Switzerland as an expat means flexibility and self-determination. But the Swiss system draws clear lines on who may issue invoices and who may not. Here you learn — without jargon — what really matters: direct, clear and on a level with you.
When are you genuinely self-employed?
Simply issuing invoices does not make you a self-employed person in Switzerland by a long way. The compensation office (SVA) examines your actual situation closely — what your contract says is secondary.
The central criteria for genuine self-employment are:
- Your own name: You appear clearly on the market under your own name.
- Your own invoice: You invoice the services you have provided yourself.
- Independence: You decide your working hours and your organisation yourself.
- Your own risk: You carry the economic risk and invest your own capital.
The basic rule for clarity: you generally need at least three different clients. In addition, no single client should account for more than 50 % of your turnover.
Model A: The bogus self-employment trap
If you work exclusively for one company, you quickly end up in a grey area. With bogus self-employment you think you are self-employed — but legally you are classified as an employee. This has massive consequences for your wallet and your taxes.
Who pays the contributions? If bogus self-employment is uncovered, it becomes expensive for the Swiss company: the client must retroactively — up to five years — pay both the employer and the employee contributions to the social insurances.
Effect on your tax return: Your taxes are completely re-opened. The company has to issue retroactive salary statements, you have to correct your tax return because your income is subsequently reclassified from «self-employed» to «employed» — and business deductions already claimed are forfeited.
Model B: International clients and the ANOBAG status
What happens if your only client is based abroad? Under Swiss law you are then not self-employed — but your foreign client has no Swiss registered office to employ you regularly. The solution is called ANOBAG: «employees without a contributing employer». You are officially registered as employed by the foreign company in Switzerland, register yourself with the SVA, and take on both the employer and the employee share of the social security contributions.
Unlike employees with a B permit, your employer does not deduct withholding tax — you are responsible yourself and must file a regular tax return in Switzerland. Our B-permit calculator shows you what to expect financially.
Whether you are a «genuine» or «non-genuine» ANOBAG depends on where your employer is based. The check below shows your path:
Answer up to three questions — you will immediately see which ANOBAG path applies to you.
Is your employer based in the EU or EFTA?
Can the company register in Switzerland?
Are you a citizen of Switzerland, the EU or EFTA?
The employer registers
The company registers with the compensation office as an employer and arranges accident insurance and a pension fund. You handle no payroll yourself.
Non-genuine ANOBAG (EU-ANOBAG)
You register yourself — with an agreement under Art. 21. Accident insurance and pension fund are arranged, and the employer usually reimburses its contribution share.
Genuine ANOBAG
You carry both the employer and employee contributions yourself. The pension fund is voluntary, accident insurance mandatory.
ANOBAG is a topic of its own and quite demanding — from clarifying your status to the accident and pension fund solution and payroll. You will find all the details, the contribution rates and the cantonal comparison on our service page ANOBAG in Switzerland.
Your contributions as a recognised self-employed person
Once the SVA officially recognises you as self-employed, clear rules apply for your contributions to AHV, IV and EO.
The regular contribution rates
From an annual earned income of CHF 60'500, the maximum rate of 10.0 % in total applies. As a self-employed person you carry these contributions entirely on your own. They break down into AHV 8.1 %, IV 1.4 % and EO 0.5 %. In addition, the compensation offices charge administrative costs of up to 5 % of the calculated contributions.
The declining contribution scale
If you earn less than CHF 60'500 a year, you benefit from a declining contribution scale — your contribution rate is reduced step by step. Some reference values:
- CHF 60'500 and above: 10.000 %
- CHF 58'000 to 60'500: 9.321 %
- CHF 53'000 to 55'500: 8.580 %
- CHF 43'000 to 45'500: 7.222 %
- CHF 23'000 to 25'500: 5.617 %
- CHF 10'100 to 17'600: 5.371 %
Minimum contributions and secondary employment
If your income is below CHF 10'100, you pay a flat minimum contribution of CHF 530 per year. If you have already paid the minimum contribution through a regular employee salary in the same year, you can request that your self-employed income be charged only at the lowest rate of 5.371 %. And anyone who is self-employed only as a sideline and earns a maximum of CHF 2'500 a year pays contributions only on explicit request.
Default interest: the timing has to be right
When it comes to delays, the Swiss compensation offices do not joke around. Default interest is charged regardless of fault or reminder as soon as statements or payments arrive late.
- Instalment contributions: If the payment has not arrived within 30 days of the end of the quarter, default interest runs from the first day after the end of the quarter.
- Final settlement contribution: You must pay the final settlement within 30 days of invoicing — after that, interest runs from the first day after invoicing.
Important is the 75 % rule: do not deliberately estimate your income too low during the year. If your instalment contributions do not reach at least 75 % of the definitive contributions for the contribution year, the offices charge default interest retroactively — and that runs as early as 1 January after the end of the calendar year following the contribution year.
Pension fund: do not forget your provision
As a self-employed person you are not automatically insured in a Swiss pension fund (BVG) — your sole proprietorship is not subject to the Swiss mandatory scheme. You have to take care of your retirement provision yourself. The state-run BVG Substitute Occupational Benefit Institution (Stiftung Auffangeinrichtung) does offer a basic registration, but it is rarely the most flexible or most profitable solution for your long-term goals.
Clear alternatives to self-employment
If the risk of bogus self-employment is too high for you, or the administrative effort too great, there are reliable paths to genuine independence:
- Payroll solutions (umbrella companies): A specialised firm employs you and assigns you administratively to your clients. You are fully insured under social security, your administrative effort drops to zero, and for your clients it is a pure B2B arrangement.
- Your own GmbH or AG: If you set up your own corporation, you are legally employed by your own company — the issue of bogus self-employment is then permanently resolved.
For a complementary view on how to optimise your taxes as a self-employed person, see our Tax Tip 6 on tax optimisation for the self-employed and sole proprietors.
Get clarity before it gets expensive
Whether genuine self-employment, ANOBAG status or an alternative such as payroll or your own GmbH — the best time to set the course is before you issue your first invoice. We translate complex topics into clear decisions and support you in finding the solution that genuinely fits your life.