Pillar 3a · Switzerland
VIAC, finpension & Frankly for U.S. citizens
Which Swiss Pillar 3a providers accept U.S. persons, and why the funds inside a 3a are PFICs that need Form 8621.
By Danilson Ramos · Founder, Atamatax
Published July 2026 · Updated September 2026
Check it for your own holding
Could this investment be a PFIC?
Two questions and, if you have it, the ticker or ISIN. The read is immediate, nothing you enter leaves this page, and it names what would settle the rest.
Free, no account, nothing you answer leaves this page. Open the full portfolio scanner
Screened against the fund registry on this page. It is never sent anywhere.
A screen. Whether a fund is a PFIC turns on its own annual income and asset facts under §1297; the read above says how far your answers go and what would settle the rest.
The three big digital Pillar 3a providers — VIAC, finpension, and Frankly — are excellent for Swiss savers. For a U.S. person the questions are: can you even open one, and what does it do to your U.S. taxes?
Can a U.S. person use each provider?
| Provider | U.S. persons | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| finpension | Restricted | States it cannot offer its investment solution to U.S. persons; registration asks you to confirm you are not a U.S. person. |
| VIAC | Reported possible | Some U.S. persons report being able to open and invest a 3a — with the reporting burden on them. Confirm current terms. |
| Frankly | Confirm directly | A fund-based 3a; confirm its current U.S.-person policy with Frankly before relying on it. |
The part that doesn't change: the funds are PFICs
Whichever provider you use, an invested 3a holds Swiss- or Irish-domiciled funds. For a U.S. person those are PFICs, each generally needing its own Form 8621 under the default §1291 rules. The 3a wrapper doesn't remove that.
What to do
- Identify each fund inside your 3a and its domicile.
- Expect Form 8621 per non-U.S. fund held.
- Report the 3a on FBAR / Form 8938.
- Decide whether a fund-based 3a is worth the U.S. filing cost for your situation.
Which of your 3a funds are PFICs?
Pick your provider in the free Swiss PFIC checker and see whether your 3a means Form 8621. This is general information, not individualised tax advice.
From one fund to the whole case
What does your PFIC situation actually require?
Four questions — how many funds, for how long, whether Forms 8621 were ever filed, whether the returns are current — and a route into the preparation that fits, with what it costs. Nothing you answer leaves this page.
Free, no account, nothing you answer leaves this page. Open the full portfolio scanner
A routing read, not a determination. Whether a fund is a PFIC, whether an exception applies and what a prior year needs are established when the holdings are screened; the route above says where that happens and what it costs.
Authorities cited
- IRC §1297 — IRC §1297 — Definition of a passive foreign investment company
- IRS Form 8621 — About Form 8621 — Information Return by a Shareholder of a PFIC or QEF
- IRC §1291 — IRC §1291 — Interest on tax deferral (excess-distribution regime)
- IRS Form 8938 — About Form 8938 — Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets
- FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) — Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)
Primary sources (Cornell Legal Information Institute for the US Code and CFR; IRS.gov for forms, procedures, and treaty documents). This page is general information, not individualized tax or legal advice.
Atamatax provides tax preparation support and educational resources. This website does not constitute legal or tax advice.