When financing a machine, a leasing company should know who controls the business behind it.
On 1 October 2026, Switzerland’s Legal Entities Transparency Act (LETA) and the revised Anti-Money Laundering Act come into force. Many Swiss limited companies and private limited companies will have to identify, verify and report their beneficial owners to a new federal register. The register, maintained by the Federal Office of Justice, will not be public.
For finance leasing, this changes the information available to the lender. The duty to identify customers and controlling persons already exists under Swiss anti-money laundering rules. The Swiss Leasing Association’s self-regulatory organisation expressly addresses it. A register entry can provide another source for a review; it cannot take the place of the leasing company’s own inquiries or accountability.
Consider an SME held through two holding companies. Its application identifies one individual as the controlling person; the register lists another. Neither an automatic rejection nor a blind copy of the register entry resolves the issue. The ownership chain must be clarified, the difference documented and, where the legal conditions are met, reported to the register.
Companies within the Act’s scope acquire their own reporting and updating duties. For leasing providers, the operational task is to bring existing KYC files, register data and customer questions into one traceable process.
The register offers a better point of comparison. The quality of the assessment still depends on the individual case.
Could you explain the control chain behind a commercial leasing customer today?
Sources:
https://www.bj.admin.ch/de/newnsb/x3sKLxCJ6S3dQJtfvy0Tb
https://www.bj.admin.ch/de/schweizerisches-transparenzregister
https://www.transpareg.admin.ch/de/wer-muss-melden
https://www.transpareg.admin.ch/de/registerzugang-und-meldung-von-unterschieden
https://www.leasingverband.ch/de/downloadFileContent?id=3080C602-9B1D-4842-8D1C-3793D133189D
https://www.finma.ch/de/ueberwachung/branchenuebergreifende-themen/geldwaeschereibekaempfung/
https://cms.kellerhals-carrard.ch/uploads/Neues_Gesetz_ueber_die_Transparenz_juristischer_Personen_TJPG_6d2dcd0e17.pdf
https://www.finma.ch/news/2026/05/20260512-mm-anh-gwv-finma/
https://www.sif.admin.ch/de/geldwaeschereigesetz-gwg