SERVICE
Foundation Administration
A Swiss foundation's compliance obligations do not end at registration. They begin there. Under Swiss Civil Code, Article 83a, the foundation board must maintain proper accounts from year one. Under Article 83b, an external auditor must be appointed unless a waiver applies. And every supervised foundation must file an annual package with its supervisory authority. We provide a structured administration service that takes that burden off the board, while keeping the board properly in control.
Proper accounts mandatory
All Swiss foundations must keep proper accounts under ZGB Art. 83a, applying Code of Obligations bookkeeping rules.
External auditor required
Required under Art. 83b, unless the supervisory authority grants a small-foundation waiver.
Annual supervisory filing
Every supervised foundation must file an annual package regardless of size or audit-waiver status.
Family foundations differ
Art. 87 foundations are exempt from state supervision and the auditor requirement, but must still keep accounts.
Scope of work
What's included
Foundation board support
We assist the board with meeting preparation, agenda drafting, minute-taking and record-keeping, helping discharge fiduciary duties under the Swiss Foundation Code 2021.
Annual accounts preparation
We prepare the foundation's annual financial statements, balance sheet, income statement and notes, to the standard required by Code of Obligations, Article 958 and expected by the supervisory authority.
Audit liaison
We liaise with the external auditor (Revisionsstelle) on your behalf: providing the accounts package, responding to queries and tracking the audit timeline.
Audit-waiver assessment
Where a foundation may qualify for the small-foundation audit waiver (balance-sheet total below CHF 200,000, no public fundraising), we assess eligibility and make the application.
Annual ESA/cantonal supervisory filing
We prepare and submit the annual package to the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ESA) or competent cantonal authority: financial statements, activity report, board minutes and any required documents.
Distributions management
For grant-making and charitable foundations: we maintain grant records, prepare board resolutions and ensure distributions are documented in a form that satisfies supervisory and tax-authority review.
Ongoing regulatory monitoring
We monitor changes in Swiss foundation law, ESA supervisory practice and cantonal tax-authority requirements that affect your foundation, and advise the board on any action required.
Charter amendments and dissolution
Where permitted under ZGB Art. 86, we manage charter amendments. We also handle dissolution procedures under ZGB Art. 88–89 where needed.
How it works
Our process
From onboarding review to year-end summary, a structured annual administration cycle.
Onboarding review
We review the foundation charter, existing accounting records, historic supervisory filings and any open authority correspondence. We identify gaps and agree a regularisation plan where needed.
Annual calendar
We set a shared timetable for the year: accounts sign-off, auditor engagement, supervisory filing deadline and board meeting dates.
Accounts preparation
Shortly after the financial year-end, we gather financial records and prepare the draft annual accounts for board review and approval within six months of year-end.
Audit coordination
We engage the external auditor, provide the accounts package and supporting documents, and manage the audit process to delivery of the signed audit report.
Supervisory filing
We prepare the full annual package and file it with the supervisory authority. We retain copies and track the authority's acknowledgement.
Grants and distributions
For grant-making foundations: we document each grant decision through the year and prepare a distributions summary for inclusion in the annual activity report.
Year-end review
We meet with the board to review the year, flag any governance or compliance matters, and confirm changes in law or supervisory practice that affect the foundation.
Who this service suits
Particularly valuable for
Newly established foundations
Boards focused on the foundation's mission rather than its compliance mechanics.
Internationally based boards
Where no board member is based in Switzerland and administrative coordination would otherwise fall to an individual without specialist knowledge.
Foundations that have grown
More complex accounting, multiple asset classes or an increasing supervisory-filing burden.
Boards that have received an authority query
Needing professional representation in dealing with the ESA or a cantonal authority.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What must a Swiss foundation file with the supervisory authority each year?
A supervised foundation typically files: audited annual financial statements, an activity report, the board's minutes approving the accounts, and the external auditor's report. The ESA sets out its filing requirements on its website; cantonal authorities have their own variations.
Our foundation is small. Do we still need an auditor?
Possibly not. The supervisory authority may waive the auditor requirement if the foundation's balance-sheet total has been below CHF 200,000 in two successive financial years and the foundation does not publicly solicit donations. The waiver is not automatic, it must be applied for and granted. Even with a waiver, the duty to keep proper accounts and to report annually to the supervisory authority remains.
Can you handle administration if the board members are based abroad?
Yes. Many of our administration clients have boards that are partly or entirely based outside Switzerland. We coordinate all local filings, liaise with the supervisory authority and auditor, and provide the board with a clear summary of what has been filed and what is outstanding. Board meetings can be held by video call.
What happens if a foundation misses its supervisory filing?
The supervisory authority has powers under Swiss Civil Code, Article 83d to intervene where a foundation fails to meet its obligations, from setting a deadline and ordering corrective measures through to, in serious cases, appointing an administrator or transferring assets to a similar foundation. In practice, the authority works constructively with foundations that engage promptly. We manage deadlines so that late filing does not arise.
Related guides
Let us handle your foundation's administration
Tell us about your foundation and its current administrative position. We will explain what is required, identify any gaps, and agree a practical service scope with you.