Zug as a location for asset managers and family offices

The advantages of Zug as a location for asset managers and family offices are the same as those that attract wealthy families and companies. The canton's low taxes apply to the profits of the firms and to the income of their owners and employees. Its proximity to Zurich gives the firms access to the banks, the custodians, the capital markets and the talent of the Zurich financial centre. Its concentration of wealthy families provides clients. And its professional ecosystem of lawyers, tax advisers and fiduciaries provides the services that the firms need.

The disadvantages are equally clear. The scarcity of housing and office space makes it difficult to recruit and accommodate staff. The canton's banking sector is small, so that the firms depend on banks elsewhere. And the reputation of the canton as a tax haven can be a burden in the relationships with clients and authorities abroad. On balance, however, the growth of the industry in the canton, and the location of one of the five supervisory organisations in Zug, show that the canton has become an important location for the private wealth economy of Switzerland.

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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