Executive Summary

The Federal Office of Justice (BOJ) is launching a pilot test for the new Swiss Transparency Register on June 16, 2026. This central federal register records all beneficial owners who control Swiss or foreign legal entities operating in Switzerland. Parliament passed the Federal Act on the Transparency of Legal Entities (TJPG) on September 26, 2025. The pilot test examines the technical infrastructure, digital processes, and interfaces using real data. Reporting-obligated companies and authorities can participate voluntarily and free of charge; their data will be transferred directly to the operational register later.

Persons

Topics

  • Anti-money laundering
  • Terrorism financing
  • Transparency obligations
  • Digital infrastructure
  • Compliance and regulation

Clarus Lead

The Transparency Register closes a regulatory gap in Swiss financial supervision and positions the country as a stronger partner in international compliance standards. The early pilot phase with real data enables authorities and companies to prepare for a system that will make money laundering and terrorism financing significantly more transparent in the future. The control office at the FDF ensures continuous data validation – a critical success factor for the system's credibility.

Detailed Summary

The Transparency Register is managed centrally by the Federal Office of Justice and records all persons who exercise economic control over legal entities – defined through capital participation or voting rights. The control office at the FDF assumes responsibility for validating the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of registered information.

The pilot test runs until the TJPG comes into force, but for a maximum of two years. Participating companies benefit from data transfer to the operational register without repeated reporting obligations. The Federal Council has not yet set the entry-into-force date of the TJPG, which determines the duration of the pilot phase. The system is directed at reporting-obligated legal entities (joint-stock companies, limited liability companies, and other legal entities) as well as authorized authorities such as judicial and administrative authorities.

Key Statements

  • As of June 2026, the Swiss Transparency Register will pilot-test record all beneficial owners of companies, thereby closing a regulatory gap in combating money laundering and terrorism financing.
  • Voluntary, free participation in the pilot test allows authorities and companies to test technical processes without incurring compliance risks.
  • Data from the pilot phase will be transferred directly to the operational register – an incentive for early participation and data quality.

Critical Questions

  1. Data Quality: How will it be ensured that companies fully and correctly disclose their beneficial owners when the pilot phase is voluntary and only becomes mandatory later?

  2. Control Capability: What resources are available to the control office at the FDF to perform data validation promptly in the face of expected high load?

  3. Technical Robustness: What scenarios will be tested in the pilot (data security, scalability, interfaces with foreign authorities)?

  4. Legal Implementation: How will companies based abroad that are active in Switzerland be obligated to register, and what sanctions apply in case of non-compliance?

  5. Timing Risk: Why has the Federal Council not yet set the entry-into-force date of the TJPG – is there pressure from international standards or EU harmonization?

  6. Data Protection: What access rights do authorities have to the register, and how is the protection of trade secrets ensured?

Sources

Primary Source: Federal Council Press Release – Popular Vote of June 14, 2026 / Transparency Register Pilot Test – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/WFpbtbbMBSLL

Verification Status: ✓ 16.06.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 16.06.2026