St. Gallen Business Tax Service

St. Gallen Business Tax Service

St. Gallen Business Tax & Accounting Service – Corporates, SMEs & Holdings

We support companies based in canton St. Gallen with Swiss bookkeeping, annual financial statements, profit and capital tax returns as well as VAT and payroll compliance. This page outlines our St. Gallen-specific service scope and fixed-fee packages for Swiss entities and cross-border structures.

Service scope for St. Gallen business tax & accounting

For companies registered or operating in canton St. Gallen, we provide an integrated accounting and tax compliance service covering bookkeeping, annual accounts, profit and capital tax, VAT and payroll/social security. Typical elements of a St. Gallen mandate include:

  • Ongoing bookkeeping under Swiss Code of Obligations and, where required, Swiss GAAP FER
  • Preparation of annual financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, notes)
  • St. Gallen corporate income (profit) and capital tax returns, including municipal taxes
  • Swiss VAT registrations, VAT return filing and input tax review
  • Payroll processing and wage statements, AHV/ALV/BVG and other social security filings
  • Withholding tax, stamp duties and securities transfer tax where relevant
  • Cross-border questions (permanent establishment, intercompany charges, WHT relief, treaty use)

For technical background on Swiss accounting rules applied in our mandates, see the Swiss Accounting Hub (Swiss GAAP). Indirect taxes and wage-related obligations are covered in our Swiss business tax guides, in particular the Swiss VAT Guide, Swiss Payroll & Social Security Guide, Swiss Withholding Tax Guide and the Swiss Stamp Duties & Securities Transfer Tax Guide.

For an overview of our broader cantonal service offering covering both business and private clients in canton St. Gallen, see the St. Gallen Cantonal Tax Service page .

St. Gallen business tax packages & pricing (Swiss side)

The packages below describe our Swiss-side work for companies in canton St. Gallen via Sesch TaxRep GmbH. Where US or German filings are required (e.g. US parent, German permanent establishment), these are prepared and invoiced separately by Sesch USA LLC and/or Sesch Group GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft. All Swiss-side fees are in CHF and exclude VAT.

Package Typical profile Scope (Swiss side) Fee (CHF)
St. Gallen Small GmbH Bookkeeping, annual accounts & tax
  • St. Gallen GmbH or AG with up to ~300 accounting entries p.a.
  • Turnover up to approx. CHF 1.0m
  • Limited number of bank accounts and contracts
  • No VAT or only domestic Swiss turnover
  • Ongoing bookkeeping & year-end closing
  • Swiss CO-compliant annual financial statements
  • Corporate profit and capital tax returns for canton St. Gallen
  • Assessment review and response to straightforward tax office queries
 From CHF 3’000 to CHF 5’000
Depending on transaction volume and documentation quality.
St. Gallen Growth & VAT Bookkeeping, accounts, tax & VAT
  • Growing trading, services or tech company in St. Gallen
  • Turnover typically between CHF 1–5m
  • Quarterly or semi-annual VAT returns
  • Multiple bank accounts, card providers and online platforms
  • Everything from the Small GmbH package
  • VAT registration support (if needed) and ongoing VAT returns
  • Review of VAT treatment for key revenue streams and cost items
  • Support in VAT queries and simple VAT audits
 From CHF 5’000 to CHF 8’000
Depending on revenue model, VAT complexity and platforms used.
St. Gallen Holding / IP / FinCo Groups, holding and financing structures
  • Swiss holding, IP or financing company in canton St. Gallen
  • Participation income, intra-group loans, royalty or licensing flows
  • Cross-border group structures (CH–EU, CH–US or multi-jurisdiction)
  • Bookkeeping and annual accounts including participation and financing income
  • St. Gallen profit and capital tax returns and schedules
  • Withholding tax analysis on dividends, interest and royalties
  • Coordination with foreign advisers on treaty claims, substance and transfer pricing
 From CHF 7’500
Custom quote depending on group size, number of entities and jurisdictions.
Payroll & HR Compliance Add-on Swiss payroll, social security & wage tax
  • Companies with 3–50 employees in canton St. Gallen
  • Mixture of local hires and cross-border commuters or expatriates
  • Monthly or quarterly payroll processing and wage statements
  • AHV/ALV, BVG, source tax and other social security filings
  • Coordination with HR on employment contracts and benefits
  • Interface with our private client team for key executives
 From CHF 1’200 p.a.
Scaled based on headcount, payroll cycles and cantons involved.

After an initial consultation and review of your accounting system and current filings, we will confirm the most suitable St. Gallen package and provide a written fixed-fee quote before starting any work.

How the St. Gallen business tax process works

1. Discovery call

A 20-minute call to understand your legal structure, business model, locations of operations and existing accounting setup. We clarify whether your profile fits our SME, corporate and cross-border focus.

2. Scoping & engagement

You receive an engagement pack that clearly distinguishes:

  • The St. Gallen bookkeeping, annual accounts and tax mandate with Sesch TaxRep GmbH
  • Where applicable, US corporate/international mandates with Sesch USA LLC
  • Where applicable, German corporate/international mandates with Sesch Group GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
  • Data protection, information sharing and billing principles

3. Onboarding & data migration

We review your current chart of accounts, ERP or accounting software and existing tax filings. Where needed, we migrate your bookkeeping to our preferred setup, harmonise cost centres and align your documentation with Swiss tax requirements.

4. Ongoing bookkeeping & reporting

During the year we keep your books up to date, reconcile bank and card accounts and provide interim figures on request (e.g. for financing rounds, dividend planning or board reporting). VAT and payroll returns are prepared and filed within statutory deadlines.

5. Year-end closing & returns

At year-end we prepare your Swiss CO / Swiss GAAP FER financial statements and calculate taxable profit and equity for St. Gallen. Corporate profit and capital tax returns are drafted, reviewed with you and filed after sign-off. If there are international aspects, we coordinate profit allocation, withholding tax and treaty positions with foreign advisers.

6. Assessments, audits & ongoing support

We monitor tax assessments and VAT/payroll reviews, handle routine queries from the authorities and support you in more complex audits or ruling processes. Separate invoices are issued by each legal entity (Swiss, US, German); on request we provide a combined overview of total engagement cost in CHF, USD or EUR.

Who we typically work with in St. Gallen

  • Owner-managed GmbHs and AGs with growing domestic and international business
  • Swiss subsidiaries of foreign groups requiring local accounting and tax compliance
  • Holding, IP and financing companies in canton St. Gallen
  • Tech, services and trading companies with platform, SaaS or cross-border VAT issues
  • Companies with key executives or shareholders who also use our private client services

Very small, purely domestic bookkeeping-only mandates without profit, capital tax or VAT complexity are generally outside our core focus and often better served by local mass-market providers.

Talk to a St. Gallen business tax specialist

If your company is based in canton St. Gallen and you are looking for integrated bookkeeping, accounting and tax support – including VAT, payroll and cross-border questions – we are happy to discuss the appropriate package and next steps in a complimentary 20-minute discovery call.

Book your free consult