AHV/IV for Au pairs

Here you will find the right answers

About Moneyland Forum

The moneyland.ch forum lets you exchange knowledge on numerous topics related to money and get answers to your questions at any time. Join forum users and experts in discussions relating to banking, investment, insurance, retirement, telecom and everyday money topics.

Show categories

Please login in or sign up to participate in the forum.
 
avatar
  • BenutzernameMoneyland User Questions
  • Status Member
  • Registriert seit1/27/17
  • Beiträge2142

My husband and I will be hosting an Au pair in the near future and I want to know whether we will have to register the Au pair at the social security office and pay her contributions. Do you have any information on this?

 
avatar
  • BenutzernameMoneyguru von moneyland.ch
  • OrtSchweiz
  • Status Expert
  • Registriert seit8/4/15
  • Beiträge4079

In Switzerland Au pairs – like other employees – are entitled to social security. That means that an Au pair aged 18 years old or older must be registered with your cantonal social security office. As their employer, the onus rests on you to make sure that your Au pair is registered, that their income (including lodging and board) is declared, and that social security contributions are paid.

Unlike those employed by a business, who are only required to register for social security if they earn more than 2300 Swiss francs annually, home-based workers like Au pairs pay social security contributions regardless of what they earn.

Because Au pairs generally do not receive a high salary and work primarily for room and board, careful attention must be paid to the estimates used by the social security office to calculate the part of their salary which is paid out as board.

The cost of a breakfast is estimated at CHF 3.50, lunch at CHF 10.00, dinner at CHF 8.00 and lodging at CHF 11.50 per night. So the social security office will calculate the portion of your Au pair's salary which is paid in the form of room and board at CHF 33.00 per day. Social security contributions will be levied on this sum as well as the Au pair’s monetary compensation.

 
avatar
  • BenutzernameMoneyland User Questions
  • Status Member
  • Registriert seit1/27/17
  • Beiträge2142

I have searched the Internet and cannot find a Zurich au pair salary contribution statement calculator or spread sheet anywhere.

An au pair just started to work for me and I need to know what to pay her and also what to pay for her social contributions and insurances and also I believe I need to sort out withholding tax too.

Do you have any more info about this or any tools on your website which maybe I did not find?

 
avatar
  • BenutzernameMoneyguru von moneyland.ch
  • OrtSchweiz
  • Status Expert
  • Registriert seit8/4/15
  • Beiträge4079

Hi there,

In the Canton of Zurich, the guideline minimum net wage for au pairs is 700 Swiss francs for a small household and 800 Swiss francs for a large household.

You can deduct the following costs from the au pair's net wage: Withholding tax (for au pairs aged 19 or older); half of the au pair's compulsory health insurance premium; half of the au pair's compulsory old age and survivors insurance contribution and occupational pension fund contribution (these only apply to au pair's above the age of 18); half of the au pair's compulsory unemployment insurance premium; the au pair's full compulsory non-occupational accident insurance premium.

In addition to the net wage, the gross wage must include the portions of the au pair's health insurance premiums, OASI and pension fund contributions and unemployment insurance premiums which must be covered by the employer. It must also include the occupational accident insurance premium, which you as the employer pay in full.

The gross wage must also include the tuition for the au pair's local language course (min. 120 hours) and transportation to and from the place of study. It must also include room and board. The social security office uses an imputed room and board value of 990 francs per month (33 francs per day).

So the gross wage which must be declared on social security forms must include the net wage, employer social security contributions, half of health insurance premiums, the cost of language tuition and total imputed room and board costs.

Like other employees, au pairs are entitled to 4 weeks of paid holiday per 1 year of work.

As a general guideline, it is helpful to estimate the total cost of hiring an au pair as equal to the cantonal minimum net wage plus 1000 francs. This is realistic based on the current costs of health insurance, transportation, language courses and providing room and board. For a household in the Canton of Zurich, the total cost of hiring an au pair would be approximately 1700 or 1800 francs, depending on the size of the household.

You can find information about work permits for au pairs here:
https://awa.zh.ch/internet/volkswirtschaftsdirektion/awa/en/arbeitsbewilligungen/eu_27_efta/aupair.html
https://awa.zh.ch/internet/volkswirtschaftsdirektion/awa/en/arbeitsbewilligungen/croatia/aupair_hausangestellte.html
https://awa.zh.ch/internet/volkswirtschaftsdirektion/awa/en/arbeitsbewilligungen/formulare_merkblaetter.html

You can find contact information for the tax office of the Canton of Zurich here:
https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/fd/de/index/steuern/quellensteuer/auslaendische_arbeitnehmer/arbeitgeber.html

You can find social security information and forms for the Canton of Zurich here:
https://www.svazurich.ch/internet/de/home/private/hausangestellte.html

Best regards from Moneyguru

More on this topic:
Tips for au pairs in Switzerland
Does my personal liability insurance cover au pairs?
Best Swiss bank account for au pairs?
Swiss credit card for au pairs

Request now for free

Cheap bank accounts with card

Online private account

UBS key4

  • 50 KeyClub points as a welcome gift

  • Online private account with debit card

Swiss digital bank

Radicant

  • High interest on your everyday account

  • Best exchange rates

  • Up to 1% of card spending as saveback in the investment portfolio

Swiss Bank

Bank WIR Bankpaket Top

  • Free account & card

  • No exchange fees for foreign payments (interbank exchange rates)

  • 24 ATM withdrawals worldwide per year free of charge

Swiss digital bank

Alpian

  • CHF 100 welcome bonus

  • Favorable foreign exchange rates

  • Multi-currency account with Visa card (CHF, EUR, USD, GBP) 

Free bank account

Yuh

  • No account fees

  • Banking partner: Swissquote & Postfinance

  • CHF 20 trading credit with code «YUHMONEYLAND»

Request now for free

Cheap bank accounts with card

Online private account

UBS key4

  • 50 KeyClub points as a welcome gift

  • Online private account with debit card

Swiss digital bank

Radicant

  • High interest on your everyday account

  • Best exchange rates

  • Up to 1% of card spending as saveback in the investment portfolio

Swiss Bank

Bank WIR Bankpaket Top

  • Free account & card

  • No exchange fees for foreign payments (interbank exchange rates)

  • 24 ATM withdrawals worldwide per year free of charge

Swiss digital bank

Alpian

  • CHF 100 welcome bonus

  • Favorable foreign exchange rates

  • Multi-currency account with Visa card (CHF, EUR, USD, GBP) 

Free bank account

Yuh

  • No account fees

  • Banking partner: Swissquote & Postfinance

  • CHF 20 trading credit with code «YUHMONEYLAND»

Deal of the Day
×
Online private account

UBS key4

50 KeyClub points as a welcome gift