The self-regulation guidelines from the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) on the promotion of energy efficiency in mortgages have shone a sudden spotlight on the subject of ESG in financing. While the current guidelines are limited in scope, they nevertheless present challenges for banks in Switzerland, as they may well be extended in the future. Banks are well advised to adjust their lending operating model not only in the short term, but also strategically for the longer term. ESG criteria for mortgage financing are new in Switzerland With the Paris Agreement, Switzerland set a goal of reduci ..read more

This blog is the second publication in our blog series. In our previous blog entitled ‘Challenger banks: Disrupting the Swiss market’, we outlined the history of banks, the different categories of Challenger banks and how they can mitigate the risks they are facing. In this blog, we further explore the various obstacles that Challenger banks are facing today, such as economic and political difficulties, and provide recommendations on how to navigate these hurdles and grow in the years to come. Challenger banks are facing significant threats to their survival due to economic obstacles. Their g ..read more

Customers today expect a seamless omni-channel shopping experience with directly integrated payment options. Recently technical progress and the tokenisation of retail payment transactions have enabled omni-channel use cases. In this article we explain how omni-channel payments work in practice and how merchants and corporates are able to benefit from this modern payment solution. Automatic Tokenisation and Omni-Channel Payments Modern payments solutions tokenise all transactions to reuse the processed information in future transactions, whether through the same sales channel or others. Token ..read more

In the popular vote on 18 June 2023, Swiss voters approved the most extensive change to the Swiss corporate tax system in over a century with a wide majority. With the amendment of the Swiss constitution the Swiss voters have paved the way for the Swiss legislator to introduce the global minimum tax (also referred to as “Pillar II”) in Switzerland. Pillar II introduces an additional layer of taxation (tax law) to Swiss constituent entities of multinational enterprises in scope of the rules and introduces a corporate group taxation system in Switzerland with a mandatory tax of 15% that is dete ..read more

The COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the merger of UBS and CS represent the three most prominent in a series of events that have affected the Swiss economy. While pandemic-related aid given by the Swiss government was covering up parts of it, the consequences of higher corporate debt are manifesting now. In this blog we investigate the effects of these developments on corporate loans and on how financial services providers are and will be affected. Over the past few years, the financial markets have experienced several shocks, most recently the announcement of the merger of Switzerland ..read more

In turbulent economic times with inflation more persistent greater than expected and pressure to review staffing levels/efficiency in various industries, corporations across the globe are looking into new ways to sharpen their competitive edge. Often, declining profitability and inefficiency in internal operations are among the most common hurdles. Intelligent Business Process Management (iBPM) solutions have emerged that enable corporations to get back on track toward efficiency and growth. Discover below why leveraging the full potential of iBPM tools can drive the strategic value for an or ..read more

We would like to invite you to our upcoming webinar on high interest rates, withholding tax reclaims, Pillar 2 and VAT updates on Wednesday 31 May 2023 at 08.30am. The focus of our upcoming webinar will be on the following topics: Overview of the tax regulatory landscape The impact of volatility and the high interest rate environment on transfer pricing Swiss withholding tax reclaims: latest developments OECD Pillar 2 overview of what we are seeing in the market National and international VAT updates, CESOP development Register for this webinar We look forward to welcoming you to an informa ..read more

The use of tax technology has been increasing over the last decade, as organizations seek to gain efficiencies and deliver more value from their tax data. However, this has developed more slowly in the banking sector than other industries. Specific challenges faced by banks can explain slower tax technology adoption, such as complex system infrastructure, special tax treatment applicable to the banking industry, dispersed tax processes responsibilities and higher data security restrictions. Given the current external and internal pressure on tax functions to increase efficiency, there is no b ..read more

What is request to pay? Request to pay (R2P) is a secure payments framework, which offers a new and flexible way to settle payments between businesses (B2B) and consumers (B2C or P2P). The payment flows through a network in which the payer receives a secure digital message with an invoice or a payment request triggered by the payee. When receiving the request, payers have the option to make the payment immediately, postpone it, or request to pay in instalments (both online and at the point of sale in stores) via buy now pay later (BNPL) offerings for B2C. BNPL is gaining momentum globally as ..read more

On Thursday 1 June 2023 in Zurich, Deloitte Finance Day is returning for a second edition. We invite you to experience a unique event to grow your network, share ideas on the future of finance, and hear from industry experts on their journey. This year we will present the following theme: The colours of finance – design your future capability: showcasing key topics to paint a picture of the future finance function. The event will offer you insights on the most pressing topics of finance executives across Switzerland and give you the opportunity to directly engage in panel discussions, face-to ..read more