Investing as a US expat in Switzerland

[Cumulunimbus]

Hello all

I have a few questions about investing as a US Expat in Switzerland.
My residency is in Switzerland, but I am a US citizen, which means I am subject to US tax law.
I will most likely open a Interactive Brokers account

1) What IBKR jurisdiction should I choose? There a bunch like: US, Switzerland, UK, Ireland??
2) What S&P 500 Index should/can I invest in? There are fund that are traded in EUR, GBP, USD, etc. and I don't know which is best/which I can even invest into.
3) How does tax reporting work? Are there tax documents available for download in the IBKR Portal?

 

[Baptiste Wicht]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

1) Both UK and US should be fine. If you plan to go back to the US, the US entity will be fine but the UK entity is what most Swiss residents use.
2) If you want to invest in the S&P500 index, VOO is a great choice of ETF.
3) Yes, but only for the US. They will provide forms for the US IRS (1042S I believe). For Switzerland, you can use an annual activity statement.

How To File Your Taxes With Swiss And Foreign Securities In 2025 - The Poor Swiss

A step-by-step guide to file your taxes with Swiss and U.S. securities. It is really not that complicated!

thepoorswiss.com

 

[Cumulunimbus]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

1) Both UK and US should be fine. If you plan to go back to the US, the US entity will be fine but the UK entity is what most Swiss residents use.
2) If you want to invest in the S&P500 index, VOO is a great choice of ETF.
3) Yes, but only for the US. They will provide forms for the US IRS (1042S I believe). For Switzerland, you can use an annual activity statement.

How To File Your Taxes With Swiss And Foreign Securities In 2025 - The Poor Swiss

A step-by-step guide to file your taxes with Swiss and U.S. securities. It is really not that complicated!

thepoorswiss.com

You're the best! Thank you soo much ))

 

[Rebecca]

Hello to my fellow US expat!

You can open a Vanguard account if you still have access to a US mailing address (such as a relative's address). Another option is to set up a PO Box and subscribe to a mail forwarding service.

I recommend sending money to the US using Wise. The fees are significantly lower and the currency exchange rates are more favorable with Wise compared to my Swiss bank.