Volume 8 No 5    /    Read Article

By Peter von Burg and Matthias Gartenmann (Guest Authors)

Trusts have been of great importance to advisors all over the world. Even though trusts are mostly found in common law systems, several civil law jurisdictions have implemented the concept of trusts. To date, there is no such thing as a Swiss trust or Swiss trust law. However, Switzerland recognizes the concept of a trust. In their article, Peter von Burg, a partner at Burckhardt Ltd. in Zürich, and Matthias Gartenmann, a Swiss tax lawyer based in Zürich, provide an overview of taxation of trusts in Switzerland. One interesting aspect addressed in the article relates to Swiss administrative assistance in tax matters when the targets of the inquiry are a trust and its beneficiaries.  See more →