Switzerland and the Greater Zurich Area provide a unique blend of top-notch infrastructure, knowledge base, talent pool, liberal legal framework and administrative efficiency. There is virtually no industry and no service sector that would not be well advised to consider the Greater Zurich Area as a main pillar for their EMEA or global operations. http://www.greaterzuricharea.ch/

1. Greater Zurich Area AG, May 2013: Finance Branch 1
Switzerland and the Greater Zurich Area provide a
unique blend of top-notch infrastructure, knowledge
base, talent pool, liberal legal framework and adminis-
trative efficiency. There is virtually no industry and no
service sector that would not be well advised to consider
the Greater Zurich Area as a main pillar for their EMEA
or global operations.
With emphasis on high value creation rather than vol­
ume, corporate structures focusing on central manage-
ment and headquarters functions in a low-tax environ-
ment make the Greater Zurich Area a prime destination
for sophisticated operations and services.
Management of corporate finances:
Swiss finance branch
Zurich is one of the most important centers of finan­
cial services, and a global leader in private banking and
wealth management. Zurich has also established itself
as a leading-edge location for suppliers to the finance
industry, making it a veritable center of gravity for tech-
nological and industrial solution providers in the finan-
cial sector.
Adding Value: Management of Corporate Finances
in the Greater Zurich Area
If your operations include group finance activities such as
granting loans, hedging, cash pooling and management,
factoring, leasing or In-House Banking solutions1), and if
you achieve a minimum capitalization of approximately
CHF 100 million, the Greater Zurich Area is the place to
set up a Swiss finance branch to manage your corporate
finances.
The Swiss finance branch is a company structure that
serves a company’s head office in a country outside
Switzerland. In Europe, head offices are routinely located
in Austria, Hungary, Poland, Iceland and Luxembourg.
Its main goal is a fiscally intelligent distribution of com-
pany funds, debts and interests between head office
and Swiss finance branch.
A Swiss finance branch that is funded either by
equity or by debt benefits from special tax rulings by
both the Swiss federal and cantonal tax authorities.
Under the ruling, the Swiss branch receives a notional
interest deduction on any interest earned from the
granting of loans to group companies or third parties.
Managing your corporate finances in a Swiss finance
branch leads to a stark reduction of the financing costs,
a deferral of income taxation, and the generation of
low-taxed interest income for foreign tax credit purposes.
A prime example of value added operations
in the Greater Zurich Area is the manage-
ment of global corporate finances with a
Swiss finance branch.
1) See article “Swiss In-House Banking“, Greater Zurich Area AG’s Insight
1/07

2. Have we sparked your interest?
Would you like to get to know your options in the
Greater Zurich Area in more detail?
If yes, please contact your nearest Greater Zurich
Area representative for more information.
We are happy to assist you in every aspect of
expanding your business to the Greater Zurich
Area!
Benefits of setting up a finance branch
in the Greater Zurich Area
• Efficient and state-of-the-art management of financial
services.
• Tap into the vast knowledge and talent pools of the global
financial center Zurich.
• Deemed interest deductions of 91%.
• Minimum effective tax rate of 1 to 2% in Switzerland.
• Combined tax burden of 3% for foreign head office and
Swiss Finance Branch.
• No withholding tax.
• No stamp duty.
• Advance tax ruling within 2 to 6 weeks.
The Swiss tax authorities may also accept the finance branch re­
gime in relation to finance companies. For finance companies,
the extensive Swiss treaty network applies and the overall tax
rate achieved may even be below 2%. However, a minimum
balance sheet total of CHF 500 to 1,000 million is required.
The finance branch regime is well tested, easy to implement and
to administrate, and the same holds true for the application of
the regime to a finance company.
Your Swiss finance branch regime can be set up to
achieve a combined tax burden of approx. 3% for a
foreign head office and the Swiss finance branch.
Please contact your local agent of the Greater Zurich
Area AG to learn more details about a Swiss Finance
Branch in the Greater Zurich Area. Let us help you
to identify and address the specifics and individual
needs of your Swiss finance operations.
Greater Zurich Area AG, May 2013: Finance Branch 2
Switzerland
Greater Zurich Area AG
Limmatquai 122
8001 Zürich / Switzerland
Phone +41 44 254 59 59
Fax +41 44 254 59 54
info@greaterzuricharea.ch
www.greaterzuricharea.ch
USA
Greater Zurich Area Inc.
swissnex building
730 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111 / USA
Phone +1 415 912 5909
CHINA
Jianping Gao
Representative China
Phone +86 21 6149 8208