Hi everyone, I just want to do my job legally and right now I’m stuck. I work as an intermediary in the fashion industry, connecting suppliers in Italy with buyers worldwide (none of my clients are based in Switzerland), and I earn a commission on each deal. I hired an accountant to register as self-employed in Switzerland (AHV/AVS), but SVA rejected me — and my first appeal was denied too. Their main points:
- Intermediary work is usually treated as dependent employment unless you cover most expenses, hire staff, and rent your own premises.
- My “entrepreneurial risk” was called too weak — risking unpaid commissions doesn’t count; they want real investments and staff.
- I have around 2,000 potential clients, but only actually invoiced 15 — they said my client base isn’t diversified enough since most revenue came from just two of them.
- Being paid purely on commission (no fixed fee) still wasn’t enough to count as a real business. Final decision: reclassified as dependent employee, with my clients treated as “employers” for social security purposes. I’m now trying again with a new accountant who charged me 1,000 CHF just for this second attempt, and I really hope I haven’t thrown that money away. Has anyone here faced this as a trade/fashion intermediary working internationally with commission-only income? Specifically: Who should I actually be talking to at this point — a lawyer specialized in Swiss social security law, a different type of consultant, or someone else entirely? What’s the realistic next step if this second attempt also gets rejected — cantonal court, federal court, or is it basically over at that point? Has anyone won this kind of case on appeal, and if so, what actually convinced the court/SVA? Any advice appreciated 🙏 submitted by /u/Ilonmasc
Originally posted by u/Ilonmasc on r/Switzerland
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