Japan Desk · CONSAVO Switzerland & Kobe
Your Japan Desk in Switzerland – Full Support for Japanese Companies
Entering the Swiss market or running a Swiss subsidiary? CONSAVO supports Japanese companies in Switzerland with company formation, accounting, taxes and payroll – in Japanese, with our own office in Kobe and our fiduciary and legal team in Zurich.
- Market entry and company formation, guided from A to Z
- Accounting, taxes and payroll for your Swiss entity
- Advice and reporting in Japanese, English and German
✓ Company formed ✓ accounting running ✓ Taxes filed ✓ reporting in Japanese
Kobe & Zurich
Own offices in Japan and Switzerland
CONSAVO Japan, Inc.
Your local contact in Japan
3 languages
Japanese · English · German
One partner
Legal, tax and accounting united
Free initial assessment
Expanding to Switzerland? Talk to Us
In a short initial call – in Japanese if you wish – we discuss your plans: subsidiary or branch, taxes, staff and timeline. You then receive a transparent, non-binding quote with clearly described services.
- Reply within one business day
- Japanese-speaking contact persons
- Clear cost estimate before any commitment
Prefer to talk right away?
Phone: +41 44 552 49 30
Email: treuhand@consavo.com
Your Non-Binding Quote
Tell us briefly about your company and your plans for Switzerland – we will get back to you within one business day.
🔒 Your data is treated confidentially and used solely to process your enquiry. No newsletter, no obligation.
Switzerland & Japan
Japanese Companies in Switzerland: Why the Match Works
Switzerland and Japan share more than a free trade agreement (in force since 2009): both stand for precision, reliability and long-term relationships. That is why Swiss subsidiaries of Japanese manufacturers, trading houses and service companies have a long tradition – from pharmaceuticals and machinery to watches and food.
What is often missing is a partner who speaks both languages – literally and culturally. CONSAVO bridges that gap: our fiduciary and legal team in Zurich works hand in hand with CONSAVO Japan, Inc. in Kobe, so decisions can be prepared in Japan and executed in Switzerland.
- One contact for formation, accounting, taxes and payroll
- Reporting to your headquarters in Japanese
- Meetings in Japan via our Kobe office
Your benefits
The Benefits of the CONSAVO Japan Desk
Trust needs language and presence. Our Japan Desk combines Swiss expertise with Japanese communication – on both sides of the world.
Native Japanese support
Advice, contracts and reporting in Japanese – no translation layers, no misunderstandings.
Present in both countries
CONSAVO Japan, Inc. in Kobe and our team in Zurich and Zug – your questions are answered in your time zone.
Everything from one source
Company formation, accounting, taxes, payroll and legal matters – coordinated by one team, not five providers.
Long-term and discreet
We build relationships for decades, not projects – with the discretion Japanese companies expect.
Your Japan Desk team
The People Behind Your Swiss Presence
A close-knit team of fiduciary, tax and legal experts – including Japanese-speaking advisors in Zurich and our colleagues at CONSAVO Japan, Inc. in Kobe.
Questions? We Will Call You Back.
Leave your number – a member of our fiduciary team will call you back within one business day. No obligation.
Our services in detail
What the Japan Desk Takes Off Your Hands
Market Entry & Formation
- Subsidiary (GmbH/AG) or branch office – we advise on the structure
- Company formation incl. notarisation and commercial register
- Authorised signatory resident in Switzerland (legal requirement)
- Location and tax questions, market analyses
- Work and residence permit support
- Domicile address in Zurich on request
Accounting, Taxes & Payroll
- Digital accounting and annual statements for your Swiss entity
- Tax returns and tax optimisation in Switzerland
- VAT registration and fiscal representation
- Payroll for local staff and Japanese assignees
- Social insurance and withholding tax for expatriates
- Group reporting to your headquarters in Japanese
Ongoing Support in Japanese
- Japanese-speaking contacts in Zurich and Kobe
- Contracts and legal matters through CONSAVO Legal
- Support during audits and with the authorities
- Board and administrative mandates on request
- Meetings at your headquarters via our Kobe office
- Private tax returns for assignees and executives
Remote or with a partner?
Managing Switzerland from Japan Is Hard.
With a Japan Desk on the Ground, It Is Simple.
Swiss authorities write in German, deadlines follow Swiss law, and social insurance has its own logic. Managing all this from Tokyo or Osaka – across eight time zones – ties up your best people. A partner on the ground who reports in Japanese changes the equation.
Option 1
Managing it from Japan
- Official letters in German pile up unanswered
- Swiss deadlines and legal changes are hard to track
- Every question needs a translator and a night-time call
- Multiple local providers without coordination
- Headquarters lacks a clear view of the Swiss entity
Option 2 · Recommended
With the CONSAVO Japan Desk
- One Japanese-speaking partner for everything in Switzerland
- Authorities, deadlines and filings handled locally
- Reporting to headquarters in Japanese
- Legal, tax and accounting coordinated in one house
- Meetings in Japan through CONSAVO Japan, Inc.
How we work together
Three Steps to Your Swiss Presence
1
Initial consultation
In Japanese, English or German: we clarify your goals, the right structure and the timeline – and you receive a transparent, non-binding quote.
2
Setup in Switzerland
We form your company, register VAT and social insurance, set up accounting and payroll – everything ready to operate.
3
Ongoing partnership
We run accounting, taxes and payroll, answer questions from your headquarters and stay your partner on the ground – for the long term.
Testimonials
What Our Clients Say
Japanese and international companies entrust CONSAVO with their Swiss presence – from formation to daily operations. Here is what some of them say about working with us.
Get in touch
Your Japan Desk in Switzerland – Start Now
We will gladly discuss your plans for Switzerland – in Japanese, English or German – and show you how CONSAVO supports Japanese companies from market entry to daily operations. Get in touch and receive your individual quote.
Phone: +41 44 552 49 30 · Email: treuhand@consavo.com
Who we support
Japanese Businesses of Every Kind –
Supported from Zurich and Kobe
From global trading houses to family-owned specialists: we adapt scope and reporting to your organisation – and to the expectations of your headquarters in Japan.
Swiss subsidiaries · our focus
GmbH or AG of a Japanese parent: formation, administration and reporting from one source.
Trading houses
European hubs of Japanese trading companies – incl. VAT and customs questions.
Manufacturing & machinery
Precision engineering and industrial companies with Swiss operations or clients.
Japan · Kobe office
CONSAVO Japan, Inc.: your first meeting can take place in Japan – in Japanese.
Pharma & chemicals
Regulated industries with Swiss entities – precise accounting and compliance.
Food & consumer goods
Japanese brands entering the Swiss and European market.
Assignees & executives
Payroll, withholding tax and private tax returns for Japanese staff in Switzerland.
Fiscal representation
Japanese companies selling to Switzerland without an entity – VAT registration included.
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Political stability, moderate taxes, a strong currency, top research and a central location in Europe – plus a free trade agreement between Switzerland and Japan in force since 2009. For many Japanese groups, Switzerland is the natural European base outside the EU.
The subsidiary (GmbH or AG) is a separate Swiss legal entity with a liability shield; the branch office is legally part of the Japanese company and quicker to establish. The choice depends on liability, taxes and market presence – details on our page Company Formation Switzerland.
Yes – a Swiss company must be represented by at least one authorised signatory resident in Switzerland. We advise on how to meet this requirement and can provide suitable solutions on request.
Yes. Our Japanese-speaking advisors in Zurich and our colleagues at CONSAVO Japan, Inc. in Kobe support you throughout – from the first meeting to ongoing reporting. Contracts and official correspondence are handled in German by us and explained to you in Japanese.
CONSAVO Japan, Inc. is our own company in Kobe. It allows first meetings in Japan, in your time zone and language – and stays your local contact while the Swiss team executes. For Japanese headquarters, this dual presence is often the deciding factor.
Yes. If your worldwide turnover exceeds CHF 100,000 and you supply Switzerland, you generally need Swiss VAT registration and a fiscal representative. We take over both – see our page Fiscal Representative Switzerland.
Yes – including withholding tax, social insurance and the special questions of secondments between Japan and Switzerland. Details on our page Payroll Services Switzerland.
That depends on scope – from a one-off formation to full administration of your Swiss entity. After the initial consultation you receive a transparent, non-binding quote with clearly itemised services.
Once documents and capital are in place, the formation is usually registered within a few weeks – and accounting, VAT and payroll are set up in parallel, so your entity is operational from day one.
Yes – for executives and assignees we prepare Swiss tax returns and advise on social insurance and withholding tax, in Japanese if preferred.
In Switzerland at Tödistrasse 53/55, 8002 Zurich, and Baarerstrasse 95, 6300 Zug – in Japan at CONSAVO Japan, Inc., 5F, 2-4-10 Kanocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe. Meetings are possible in all three locations or by video call.
Free initial consultation
What Happens After You Submit the Form
1
We review your enquiry
Within one business day, the right specialist for your topic will look at your situation.
2
Short initial call
In 20–30 minutes we clarify your situation, requirements and open questions – by phone or video call.
3
Transparent quote
You receive a non-binding quote with clearly described services and costs. You decide.
Prefer to talk right away? +41 44 552 49 30 · treuhand@consavo.com
Tell us what you need
Two brief details help us prepare the right specialist and a meaningful first assessment for you.
🔒 Confidential. No newsletter, no obligation.