NOETHERS / FOUNDER GUIDE
Across borders.
A decision map for founders with ties to Switzerland, the UK, Germany or France. Establish facts first; ask qualified local professionals for conclusions.
For discussion with your own qualified professionals. Not personal investment, legal or tax advice.
01 / WHAT TO BRING
Map the people and places
A passport or mailing address alone does not answer a cross-border question.
- Where do you and close family members live and spend time, now and during the transaction period?
- Where do you work, direct a business and hold homes or other significant ties?
- Which advisers are qualified in Switzerland, the UK, Germany and France as relevant, and who coordinates their answers?
02 / WHO / WHAT TO ASK
Map the assets and transaction
Give local professionals a shared set of facts before asking for options.
- Where are the company, shares, options, trusts or other entities established, and who legally owns each interest?
- Where are the buyer, seller, paying agent and banks; which currencies and payment dates are expected?
- Which proceeds are immediate, conditional or deferred, and what documentation controls them?
03 / WHAT TO DECIDE
Questions for the specialists
Ask for documented advice on your facts, not general claims about a country.
- Which jurisdictions may require a filing or impose an obligation, and what evidence should we preserve?
- Could a move, signing date, ownership change or distribution alter the analysis? What must be reviewed before action?
- How do the local advisers reconcile different definitions, timelines and reporting requirements?
- Who reviews family, inheritance, entity and employment questions, and when should investment decisions wait for that review?
04 / WHAT CAN WAIT / TAKE FORWARD
Coordinate the answer
Keep an open-issues register, with an owner and deadline for each question.
- Write down agreed facts, unknowns and jurisdiction-specific assumptions in one shared chronology.
- Separate confirmed legal or tax conclusions from open questions; get the responsible local professional to sign off on their own work.
- Revisit the map if residence, family circumstances, ownership or transaction terms change.
Background references
These are public background materials, not endorsements of Noethers or substitutes for advice on your circumstances.