Does anyone know about the new laws with regards to employing a cleaner.

I inherited my cleaner and would like to find out about what I need to do?

Thanks

Bumping up as I wanted to ask the same questions...

I found out about the "simplified procedure" if you pay the cleaner less than a certain amount a year but I am not quite clear how to practically do it in Zurich... for example, it says you need to wirthdraw tax at source, but what if the cleaner is not taxed at source?

In Geneva we had these wonderful "cheques emploi" who did all for you... sniff sniff..

Anyone can shed some light?

In case it is posted somehwere, would appreciate the guidance in finding as I did not find anything using the search...

Cheers,

Cristina

Persons with a yearly income up to 2200 Fr. don't have to register for AHV/AVS. Employees who work in private households, and this includes cleaners, are exempt from this rule and must always pay AHV/AVS on their income (respectively their employers) (Source). Under the old rules that were valid until 2007 AHV/AVS wasn't required for people who earn less than 2000 Fr. in their second job.

Second, the employer is required to organise a "daily allowance/sickness insurance" (Krankentaggeldversicherung in German) according to cantonal rules.

Third, the employer also must organise a second pillar pension fund if the cleaner earns more than 19'890 Fr./year on this job. This again is a federal rule (Source).

Last but not least the cleaner has a right for paid vacation, the duration depends on age and canton.


There are a couple of companies who set up a correct employment and take all employer responsabilities for a fee (1, 2).

If you want to deal with the paperwork yourself, you can get further information in the national languages on the official AHV/AVS website (sheet 2.06 in the Merkblätter/Mementos section) and contact your communal AHV/AVS office.

What about if the cleaner earns less than this with you but more than this amount by summing up different jobs? Who has the responsibility to organize second pillar?

Cheers,
Cristina

The "simplified accounting technique" is an alternative available to all employers of private households who pay a salary less than the 19'890 Fr. A brief guideline for employers in German which points out the differences between the simplified and ordinary process, too, can be found here as PDF. One difference is that in the simplified process the employer must deduct the source tax. This is a step by step instruction for employers with a calculation example, please give it a try even if you're not that good in German.


I'm not sure if in this case there's an obligation to organise the second pillar and if it's the employers or employee's responsability. However there are second pillar offerings that don't require a minimal income and that are designed especially for workers who tend to have several employers like cleaners and music teachers etc.

Thanks for the info! I can read German so hopefully I will manage.

This I had also read but am still confused about: what if the employee is not subject to tax at source? Why would I need to deduct this?

Cheers,
Cristina

In Vaud, you are only paying the social contributions, not the income tax, unless there person must have tax deducted at source. So they do make a difference between those who are taxed at source and those who are not.

A late thank you for clarifying this MiniMia, that is if your employment relation makes use of the "simplified procedure" But even if not I'm pretty convinced that under simplified procedure rules source tax doesn't have to be organised through the employer if the employee is say a Swiss citizen or in possession of a C permit. The forum heavyweights can feel free to correct me.

It probably is best discussed with the AHV/AVS office because it's only possible to switch to simpified employment at the beginning of the year or the employment anyway.

I'm not a forum heavy weight, but as I read it on the Vaud "Cheques Emploi" site, it says specifically that you only have to add tax at source if the employee is subject to the impots a la source tax regime; ie. no permit C, not married to a Swiss, not married to a permit C holder.

"Attention ! 10% du salaire brut est prélevé en plus pour les personnes étrangères non détentrices d'un permis C ou non mariées à un Suisse ou à une personne ayant un permis C (à la charge de l'employé-e)."

http://www.cheques-emploi.ch/

You, as an employer can not be expected to know about every job one of your employees has.

That is the employees private business

They may work as a cleaner for you, as a checkout operator for Migros, as a caretaker for a block of flats, as a web-based employee doing translations, etc etc.

You cannot be expected to know all of this when you employ someone.

I agree but that is what the text says, that you are meant to check whether the employee needs a second pillar or not....

Will look more closely and eventually call up the AVS folks ;-)

Cheers,
Cristina

On the AVS-AI memento, it simply says that for the simplified procedure you need to deduct 5% for tax at source without mentioning that it is only for those subjected to it...

I so wish we had cheque emploi in Zurich... it was soooo much simpler :-)

Thanks for the help

Cristina

Hello

We have employed a cleaning lady and we want to register her for AHV, Tax etc.

I dont know where to start... I got some forms but all in german and dont understand what I must do... also it does not tell you how much tax to pay etc its only AHV... Is there a company that you can pay to handle the administration of the cleaning lady but still be employed by us... this is so complicated!!

Any advice would be appreciated... thanks

There's plenty of advice on this forum - here's one to start you off:

http://www.englishforum.ch/employmen...g-cleaner.html

I have recently seen alot of posts on forums of people requiring a cleaner.
How does it work for the cleaner?
I dont work right now, and would be interested in just 3-4 hours a week cleaning.
If I see an advert on a forum and want to respond, what is the best way of doing this so that I am not working illegaly. What do I need to do, and what do I need to ensure my employer does.

Thanks!

The Employer has to declare you as an employee.

We have a cleaner that does 3 hrs a week for us and have just completed the first years paperwork. We took her on last year and did everything properly and legally.

When you start, the employer needs your AHV number, and should ask for a copy of your ID car / work permit etc to verify you are in Switzerland legally.

The employer can pay you cash each week - or credit your account - up to you how you do that.

The employer has to have compulsory accident insurance for you.

The employer has to fill out the "Anmeldung zur vereinfachten Abrechnung für Arbeitgebende", available from SVA Zurich (www.svazurich.ch) if you are in Canton Zurich. Or the employer can choose the non-simplifed method, but it's more paperwork.

At each pay, the empoyer deducts tax at a flat 5% and social security at 6.05%, and pays you the rest.

At the end of the year, the employer fills out the Vereinfachte AHV-Abrechnung Jahresabrechnung showing gross wages paid and sends it to SVA by 30 Jan

SVA send the employer a bill for the social security payments, and send the employee confirmation of the social security status, and forward the details to the tax department as well. Tax department matches up the tax figures on each side.

We gave our cleaner a Lohnabrechnung, simply a spreadsheet with all the paid wages and deductions shown on it, that she can use with her tax return.

So you can see the majority of effort lies with the employer. But it is very straight forward once you set it up.

Hello!

would anyone have a standard contract to legally employ a cleaner in english? I am in canton Zurich.

If would be great if you do and if you would share it

Cheers,
K

K-tipp has an English sample contract for cleaners here. (Click the PDF icon to download it.) The same document is also available in German, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. Kudos to them for this free service!

I've mentioned the cantonal differences for "daily allowance/sickness insurance" (Krankentaggeldversicherung) before. If you don't specify otherwise in the contract, the cantonal laws of Zurich, Bern and St. Gallen foresee that all household employees, part-time workers included, benefit from a two years sickness insurance that the employer has to pay. Article 6 of the K-tipp sample contract discharges the employer from this liability by reducing it to the national standard, which foresees a couple week insurance payments for this kind of employment, depending on the time the sick employee has worked for his employer. A detailed K-tipp article is available here in German.