If you want to register a business in Switzerland, you don't need a "Gewerbeanmeldung" in the German sense — but rather an entry in the commercial register (Handelsregister) or a simple registration with the SVA (cantonal compensation office, Swiss social security). Sounds confusing? It is, because the term "Gewerbe" (trade/business) doesn't even exist in Swiss law. Instead, we speak of self-employed activity (selbständige Erwerbstätigkeit). If you want to register a business, it comes down to three steps: entry in the commercial register (mandatory for sole proprietorships from CHF 100,000 revenue or for LLCs always), VAT (Swiss VAT, 8.1% standard rate) registration from CHF 100,000 revenue, and AHV (Swiss social security) registration with the cantonal compensation office. This article walks you through the entire process — with real CHF costs, an EasyGov walkthrough and the mistakes others have already made.

Key Takeaways

• Commercial register entry: Sole proprietorship mandatory from CHF 100,000 revenue, voluntary below — costs CHF 220.00 to CHF 600.00 depending on the canton
• VAT registration: Mandatory from CHF 100,000 revenue per year — otherwise voluntary with input tax deduction (VAT 8.1%)
• AHV registration: Within 30 days of starting your business with the SVA — contributions from CHF 564.00 per year (minimum contribution)
• EasyGov: Online formation of an LLC costs approx. CHF 500.00 to CHF 800.00 instead of CHF 1,200.00 at the counter
• Most common mistake: Forgetting VAT registration or registering too early — that costs back payments or forfeits input tax deduction

When do you need to register a business?

The term "Gewerbe" comes from German law. In Switzerland, we speak of self-employed activity under Art. 2 of the AHV Act (AHVG). As soon as you run a business independently, on your own account and on a permanent basis, you must register — but where and how depends on your legal form and your revenue.

Three registration obligations you need to distinguish:

1. Commercial register entry: For LLCs (GmbH) & Co. KG always mandatory. For sole proprietorships only if annual revenue exceeds CHF 100,000 (Art. 26 HRegV). Below that, the entry is voluntary but recommended.
2. VAT registration: Mandatory from CHF 100,000 revenue per year (Art. 10 VAT Act). Below that voluntary — you can then deduct input tax, but must account for VAT.
3. AHV registration: Within 30 days of starting your business with the cantonal compensation office (SVA). This applies to every self-employed activity, regardless of revenue.

Example — Lisa from Bern:

Lisa, 32, registers as a self-employed graphic designer. Her revenue in the first year is an estimated CHF 40,000.00. Since she's below the CHF 100,000 threshold, commercial register entry for her sole proprietorship is voluntary. She decides to register anyway, because customers are skeptical without a register entry and won't accept a QR-bill (Swiss QR-bill) with a unique creditor ID. Cost at the commercial register office Bern: CHF 220.00. She skips VAT registration — at CHF 40,000 revenue, input tax isn't worth it. She completes the AHV registration online with the SVA Bern in 15 minutes. Contribution in the first year: CHF 564.00 (minimum contribution). Total registration costs: under CHF 800.00.

Important: If you work self-employed on a part-time basis while also being employed, the same rules apply. AHV registration is always mandatory; the commercial register entry depends only on revenue.

Sole proprietorship vs LLC: Which registration fits?

The most common question when registering a business in Switzerland: sole proprietorship (Einzelfirma) or LLC (GmbH)? The answer depends on your liability, your capital and your industry.

Sole proprietorship — simple and affordable

The sole proprietorship is the simplest legal form. No minimum capital, no formation meeting, no notary. You register with the commercial register — done. If your revenue is below CHF 100,000, even the entry is voluntary.

Advantages:

• Low formation costs (CHF 220.00 to CHF 600.00)
• No minimum capital
• Full decision-making freedom
• Simplified accounting below CHF 100,000 revenue

Disadvantages:

• Full personal liability with private assets
• Less trust from B2B customers
• Higher tax risk with high profits

You can find more about forming a sole proprietorship in our detailed sole proprietorship formation guide.

LLC — professional with limited liability

The LLC (GmbH, Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) requires share capital of at least CHF 20,000.00 (Art. 773 Swiss Code of Obligations, OR). Formation requires public notarization by a notary and a mandatory commercial register entry.

Advantages:

• Limited liability to the company's assets
• More professional appearance toward customers
• Tax advantages with high profits (capital gains)
• Easier transfer of ownership

Disadvantages:

• Minimum capital CHF 20,000.00 (to be paid into a blocked account)
• Notary costs (CHF 400.00 to CHF 800.00)
• Commercial register fees (CHF 600.00 to CHF 1,000.00)
• Mandatory double-entry bookkeeping

Cost comparison at a glance

Example — Marco from Zurich:

Marco, 41, founds an LLC for IT consulting. He chooses EasyGov and saves himself the notary appointment. Share capital: CHF 20,000.00 into a blocked account at Zürcher Kantonalbank. Commercial register fee Zurich: CHF 600.00. Notary costs eliminated thanks to EasyGov. Formation time: 10 business days. But he forgets the AHV registration and four months later receives a letter from the SVA Zurich with a contribution claim of CHF 2,820.00 (minimum contribution for the current and previous year) plus default interest. Lesson: Always complete AHV registration within the first 30 days.

Step-by-step: Registering a business in Switzerland

Whether sole proprietorship or LLC — the process always follows the same phases. Here's the practical step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Choose your legal form

Decide between sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation (AG) or general partnership. For 80% of founders, the sole proprietorship is sufficient. Those who want limited liability choose the LLC.

Step 2: Define name and registered office

The company name must include the legal form suffix under Art. 469 OR ("Einzelunternehmen", "GmbH", "AG"). The registered office is the place where the actual administration is located — not necessarily your place of residence.

Step 3: Submit the commercial register application

For the sole proprietorship, fill out the form "Application for registration of a sole proprietorship" — online via Zefix or by post with the cantonal commercial register office. For the LLC, go through EasyGov (see next section).

The sole proprietorship registration requires the following documents:

• ID of the owner
• Company name and registered office
• Purpose (area of activity)
• Signature sample

Step 4: VAT registration (if necessary)

From CHF 100,000 revenue per year, you must register with the FTA (Federal Tax Administration). This is done online via the FTA portal. You receive a VAT number and must then account for VAT quarterly or annually. Details in our guide to VAT for freelancers.

Warning — timing trap: If you register voluntarily and then deregister, you must wait three years before you can register again. Think this through carefully.

Step 5: AHV registration

Within 30 days of starting your business, register with the cantonal compensation office (SVA). You can find the form on your canton's SVA website, for example ahv.ch. The SVA calculates your contributions retroactively from the date you started your business.

Step 6: Open a business account

For the LLC, a business account is mandatory. For the sole proprietorship, we recommend it from your first customer — keeping it separate from your private account makes accounting much easier. With proper bookkeeping, you stay on the safe side tax-wise.

EasyGov: Register online instead of at the counter

EasyGov is the federal government's digital formation platform. It guides you step by step through the formation of an LLC, corporation (AG) or cooperative — completely online, without a notary appointment. For sole proprietorships, EasyGov is currently not available, but for LLCs it's the standard route.

How EasyGov works in practice

1. Create account: Register on easygov.swiss with your SwissID.
2. Choose legal form: LLC, corporation or cooperative.
3. Enter company data: Company name, registered office, purpose, shareholders, share capital.
4. Articles of association generated automatically: EasyGov creates the articles based on your inputs.
5. Pay in share capital: Transfer the capital (from CHF 20,000.00) to the specified bank account.
6. Record signatures: Electronically with SwissID signature.
7. Commercial register entry: EasyGov submits everything automatically to Zefix.
8. Confirmation: After review by the commercial register office, you receive the commercial register extract digitally.

Duration: An LLC formation via EasyGov typically takes 5 to 10 business days — faster than the classic route at the counter, which takes 2 to 4 weeks.

EasyGov formation costs:

• Commercial register fee: cantonal, approx. CHF 600.00
• Notary costs: eliminated (instead CHF 0.00 — only fee is the register fee)
• EasyGov platform: free
• Total: approx. CHF 600.00 to CHF 800.00 (instead of CHF 1,200.00 to CHF 1,800.00 classic)

EasyGov vs. classic formation — which fits?

EasyGov is worth it if you're founding a standard LLC and don't need complex articles of association. If you need special provisions (majority ratios, share transfer restrictions, special profit distribution), you'll need a notary.

If you decide against the LLC and register a sole proprietorship, registration goes directly through the cantonal commercial register office — not via EasyGov. This can be done by post or partially online, depending on the canton.

Costs of business registration in Switzerland

The costs for business registration depend heavily on your legal form and your canton. Here's an overview with concrete CHF amounts.

Commercial register fees by canton

Commercial register fees are regulated at the cantonal level and vary significantly:

(Status 2026 — you can find the exact fees at the cantonal commercial register office, see the current version on zefix.ch)

Other cost items

• Notary (LLC/corporation only): CHF 400.00 to CHF 800.00 — eliminated with EasyGov
• Bank blocked account (LLC only): usually free at cantonal banks
• Entry in the Swiss Official Commercial Gazette (SHAB): CHF 0.00 to CHF 40.00, usually included in the register price
• AHV contributions: Minimum contribution 2026 approx. CHF 564.00 per year (for income below CHF 9,800 subject to AHV)
• VAT registration: CHF 0.00 — free with the FTA

Total for a sole proprietorship: CHF 220.00 to CHF 600.00 plus AHV minimum contribution CHF 564.00 = approx. CHF 800.00 to CHF 1,200.00 in the first year.

Total for an LLC: CHF 1,000.00 to CHF 1,800.00 plus share capital CHF 20,000.00 plus AHV contributions = approx. CHF 22,000.00 to CHF 22,800.00 in the first year.

Tax deductibility

Formation costs are deductible as business expenses. Keep all invoices — whether from the notary, commercial register or bank.

Common mistakes when registering a business

In 15 years of consulting, we've seen the same mistakes over and over. Here are the most common — and how to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Forgetting AHV registration

The classic. Many founders think: "No revenue, no AHV." Wrong. AHV registration is due from the moment you start your business — not from the first franc of revenue. When the SVA finds out about you months later, you pay contributions retroactively plus default interest.

Solution: Register with the SVA within 30 days of starting your business. The form takes 15 minutes.

Mistake 2: Registering for VAT too early

If you voluntarily become subject to VAT and have hardly any revenue in the first year, you still have to account for VAT and run into problems when you want to deregister. The three-year lock under Art. 10 para. 3 VAT Act makes re-registration impossible.

Solution: Only register for VAT if you (a) exceed CHF 100,000 revenue or (b) have predictable high input tax amounts (materials, equipment, car leasing).

Mistake 3: Incorrect commercial register entry

A sole proprietorship must include the owner by name: "Max Mustermann, Einzelfirma." The LLC needs the suffix "GmbH." Anyone who forgets this gets the application sent back — and pays a supplementary fee.

Mistake 4: No separate business account

Anyone running a sole proprietorship and running everything through their private account has a problem at the latest during a VAT audit. The FTA requires a clear separation of private and business expenses.

Solution: A business account costs approx. CHF 25.00 per month at cantonal banks — upgrading your bookkeeping costs nothing extra.

Mistake 5: Purpose defined too narrowly

The company purpose in the commercial register determines what you may legally offer. If you register "web design" and later want to offer consulting as well, you need a purpose amendment — that costs extra.

Solution: Define the purpose broadly: "IT services and consulting" instead of just "web design."

Mistake 6: Overlooking false self-employment

If you effectively work for only a single client, the SVA or FTA can classify you as falsely self-employed — with the consequence that you're retroactively treated as an employee. Contributions, VAT and taxes must be repaid.

After registration: VAT, AHV and bookkeeping

Business registration is just the beginning. After that, ongoing obligations begin — and this is where the wheat is separated from the chaff.

VAT: Accounting with the FTA

If you're subject to VAT, you must account for it. VAT is 8.1% (standard rate) or 2.6% (reduced rate for food, books, medicines). You can choose between quarterly and annual accounting.

Process:

1. You issue customer invoices with VAT (VAT line + VAT number).
2. You collect incoming invoices showing input tax.
3. You submit the VAT return to the FTA — preferably electronically.

You can read how this works in practice in our guide to submitting VAT online.

AHV: Calculating and paying contributions

AHV contributions for self-employed persons are 10.1% of AHV-subject income (status 2026, see current version on ahv.ch). The minimum is approx. CHF 564.00 per year. After each tax return, the SVA sends you a contribution invoice.

Tip: If your income fluctuates, you can make advance payments and reconcile them with the SVA's final invoice. This way you avoid large back payments.

Bookkeeping: Keep it clean from day one

Clean bookkeeping isn't just an obligation — it saves taxes and nerves. From CHF 100,000 revenue, double-entry bookkeeping is required; below that, a simple income-expense accounting suffices.

What you need at minimum:

• Income and expense list (Excel or software)
• Receipt collection (digital or paper)
• Separation of private and business accounts
• Regular VAT accounting

If you're looking for a lean solution made specifically for Swiss freelancers: check out our features — including QR-bill, VAT management and customer management, from CHF 25.00 per month. That's significantly less than bexio at CHF 52.00 — and you get the same core scope. More in our pricing comparison or the direct comparison to bexio.

Registering self-employed activity — overview

If you want to dive deeper into the topic of self-employed activity, we have a dedicated article on that. Here, the focus is primarily on the registration process itself.