A bond issued by a foreign resident issuer but guaranteed by its Swiss resident parent company is reclassified as a domestic issuance and subject to 35 percent withholding tax if the proceeds raised under such bond are used in Switzerland. According to new rules which entered into force on 1 April 2017, it is possible to use the proceeds in Switzerland up to an amount equal to the equity of the foreign issuer and to still avoid a reclassification.

By Stefan Oesterhelt (Reference: CapLaw-2018-01)