I will be moving to Zurich for a one year post doctoral position at EAWAG this March. My husband will come with me, and is planning to work remotely for his current US-based company. We are both US citizens, and will have L permits.

What we and his company are hung up on is how he will actually be paid legally while in Switzerland (from what I understand, it would not be legal for him to continue to be paid through his US account living in Switzerland). His company cannot pay him through a Swiss account, because that would mean that they established a "permanent presence" there, and the company would be liable for Swiss taxes as a whole.

I am wondering what our options are. Would he be able to file as "self-employed" and then file for and pay taxes at the end of the year? If not, would it be possible for his company to outsource his payroll, such that his payroll is administered through a personnel agency basin in Switzerland? If this is the case, will the company have to prove that no one else in Switzerland can do his job to get him a work authorization? Would this process be easier if my company is already applying for his permit?

Thank you, any advice is greatly appreciated!