Skip to main content
---d--h--mCheck what applies to me
atamatax

Free checklist

U.S. Tax Checklist for Americans in Switzerland

Everything you may need to gather before filing — or before talking to us. Swiss salary, bank accounts, FBAR, FATCA, investments, pillar 2/3a, self-employment and prior years.

Identity & filing status

  • U.S. citizenship or Green Card status confirmed
  • Social Security Number / ITIN
  • Marital status and spouse's tax status (U.S. or non-U.S.)
  • Dependents and their identification numbers

Swiss salary documents

  • Annual salary certificate (Lohnausweis / certificat de salaire)
  • Bonuses, RSUs / stock options and vesting details
  • Dates of arrival / departure if you moved during the year

Bank accounts

  • List of all non-U.S. accounts (bank, brokerage, e-money)
  • Maximum balance during the year for each account
  • Year-end balances and account numbers

FBAR (FinCEN Form 114)

  • Confirm whether combined non-U.S. accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point
  • Institution names and addresses
  • Joint account holders, if any

FATCA / Form 8938

  • Total value of specified foreign financial assets
  • Any FATCA forms received from Swiss banks

Investments

  • Swiss / non-U.S. ETFs and funds (potential PFICs)
  • Individual stocks and crypto holdings
  • Dividends, interest and capital gains statements

Pillar 2 / pillar 3a

  • Pillar 2 (occupational pension) statements
  • Pillar 3a provider and whether it is invested in funds
  • Vested-benefits (Freizügigkeit) account details, if any

Self-employment

  • Swiss self-employment or company (GmbH/Sàrl) details
  • Income and expense records
  • Any foreign entity ownership or control

Prior-year filings

  • Years filed vs. years missed
  • Copies of any prior U.S. returns
  • Whether any missed filing was non-willful

Before contacting Atamatax

  • Have the documents above organized by category
  • Note any questions or uncertainties
  • Run the free Tax Risk Check to summarize your profile

Atamatax provides tax preparation support and educational resources. This website does not constitute legal or tax advice.

Free, 2 minutes

Want this checklist by email — with your risk summary?

Run the free Tax Risk Check. We'll email you the Switzerland-specific checklist and a personalized summary of where you may have obligations.

Start free tax risk check