SA or Sagl? Choosing the right legal form before seeing the notary

Minimum capital, liability, confidentiality and incorporation costs: a concise guide to choosing between a stock corporation and a limited liability company.

An SA requires minimum capital of CHF 100,000, at least 50,000 of which paid in, and does not publish the names of its shareholders. A Sagl starts at CHF 20,000, fully paid in, but its members are entered in the commercial register.

Both limit liability to the company’s assets and require a public deed of incorporation executed by the notary, who verifies the capital deposit and files the entry with the commercial register.

Both limit liability to the company’s assets and require a public deed of incorporation executed by the notary, who verifies the capital deposit and files the entry with the commercial register. Within a few days the company exists.

The choice depends on goals, number of partners, capital needs and image towards banks and partners. We discuss it before incorporation: changing form later is possible, but costs more than choosing well at the outset.

The information is general and does not constitute legal advice. For your specific case, please contact us.