Penalties for undeclared work in Switzerland: what the household risks and what the cleaner risks
What it costs if it comes out
Set up your case. The calculation is what the compensation office claims back, year by year as on its ruling.
Back payment to the compensation office
CHF 1'835
Both shares: you also owe your cleaner's part.
| Year | Mo. | Contributions | Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 149 | 14 |
| 2025 | 12 | 892 | 36 |
| 2026 | 10 | 744 | 0 |
| CHF | 1'785 | 50 | |
Penalty
up to 180 daily units
A monetary penalty for an offence (AHVG Art. 87). A first one is usually suspended (StGB Art. 42), but it still goes on the criminal record.
If she has an accident
CHF 63–126
Treatment and daily allowance are paid by the Ersatzkasse UVG, not by you. It claims the premium from you, doubled if the omission is inexcusable (UVG Art. 95).
Contributions can be paid back; criminal proceedings cannot. And your cleaner is missing contribution years until you register her retroactively.
Clean from today: registration and a payslip every month, prepared. 30 days free.
Register correctly from today →Estimate, not legal advice. AHV/IV/EO 10.6 % and ALV 2.2 % (both shares) plus FAK 1.5 % (cantonal average) on the wage, 52 weeks a year; 5 % default interest from 1 January after each contribution year (AHVV Art. 41bis). Without the office's administration fee and withholding tax. Accident premium estimated at 0.505 % (BU), from 8 hrs a week plus 1.432 % (NBU), at most 5 years. As of 2026.
In short: not registering your cleaner is an offence, punishable by a monetary penalty of up to 180 daily units (AHVG Art. 87). Leaving out accident insurance is a second one (UVG Art. 112). On top comes the back payment: AHV contributions for both sides for up to five years, with 5 % default interest. Registering is the employer's job; the cleaner herself is mainly at risk if she has no work permit, does not pay tax on the wage or draws social benefits at the same time.
The penalties at a glance, for household and cleaner
Who risks what depends on the situation. The duty to register lies with the household as employer; the cleaner is mainly exposed on permits, taxes and social benefits.
Situation
You, the household
Your cleaner
Not registered with the AHV
You, the household
Monetary penalty up to 180 daily units
Plus both sides' contributions, up to 5 years back, with 5 % default interest.
AHVG Art. 87 and 16, AHVV Art. 41bis
Your cleaner
The employer's job
The household has to register and settle. She is missing pension contribution years until they are paid back.
AHVG Art. 14
No accident insurance
You, the household
Monetary penalty up to 180 daily units
After an accident the Ersatzkasse bills the premium, up to 5 years back, doubled if the omission is inexcusable.
UVG Art. 112 and 95
Your cleaner
Covered anyway
If she is injured at work, the Ersatzkasse UVG pays her the statutory benefits.
UVG Art. 73
No work permit
You, the household
Prison up to 1 year or a monetary penalty
In serious cases and if repeated within 5 years up to 3 years; if negligent, a fine of up to CHF 20'000. Plus the uncovered costs of living, accident, illness and the journey home.
AIG Art. 117 and 122
Your cleaner
Prison up to 1 year or a monetary penalty
Without a residence permit, a removal order comes on top.
AIG Art. 115 and 64
Wage not taxed
You, the household
Only with withholding tax
If your cleaner was subject to withholding tax, the tax office claims the amount you did not deduct from you, with a fine usually of the same size.
DBG Art. 138 and 175
Your cleaner
Back tax and a fine
The fine is usually once the evaded tax, up to three times. A first voluntary disclosure goes unpunished.
DBG Art. 175
Social benefits drawn at the same time
You, the household
Only if you help
Helping her hide the wage from the authority can make you an accessory.
StGB Art. 148a and 25
Your cleaner
Prison up to 1 year or a monetary penalty
Anyone drawing unemployment benefit, IV or social assistance while hiding a wage pays the benefits back. Foreign nationals also face expulsion, except in minor cases or cases of hardship.
StGB Art. 148a and 66a
An inspection finds it
You, the household
Fee up to CHF 150 per hour
For the inspectors' time, plus expenses, on top of everything above.
BGSA Art. 16, VOSA Art. 7
Your cleaner
She is checked too
Inspectors may check her identity and her permit.
BGSA Art. 7
What 180 daily units mean in francs
The court sets the number of daily units by the degree of fault, and the amount of one unit by income, assets and family duties: as a rule CHF 30 to 3'000 (StGB Art. 34). A first monetary penalty is usually suspended; you only pay it if a new offence follows during probation. An additional fine that is not suspended remains possible (StGB Art. 42).
Every conviction for an offence (Vergehen) goes on the criminal record, a suspended monetary penalty included (StReG Art. 18). Several offences, say AHV and accident insurance, lead to one combined penalty: the one for the most serious, increased appropriately (StGB Art. 49).
Sources: AHVG Art. 87 · UVG Art. 112 · AIG Art. 117 · StGB Art. 34 · StReG Art. 18 · DBG Art. 175
What counts as undeclared work
Undeclared work is precisely defined in Swiss law. Under the Federal Act on Combating Undeclared Work (BGSA) (Source: BGSA) it applies when:
- 1
No registration with the compensation officeYou pay wages for work in your household without registering the person. Domestic work has no minimum threshold; exceptions apply only to very young and retired employees. When you must register.
- 2
No social insurance contributionsAHV/IV/EO and ALV are not settled. The employer, meaning you, has to pay them in, including your employee's share.
- 3
No accident insuranceThere is no UVG policy. It is compulsory from the first working hour and cannot be taken out retroactively.
- 4
False or incomplete informationThe wage is reported too low, or employment is passed off as self-employment when it is not.
- 5
No permitThe person has no valid residence or work permit. This is the case with the highest penalties, for both sides (AIG Art. 115 and 117).
Swipe right for true, left for false.
Statement 1 of 4
For two hours of cleaning a week, I don't need to register anyone.
More on this: Bogus self-employment for cleaners · Bonuses in a private household
Inspections are rare. It comes out anyway.
239
undeclared-work inspections of private households in 2025, across Switzerland
693
inspections in 2021, almost three times as many
500'000
households with employees, estimated
Figures: Clino study on household inspections, based on the SECO report 2025
How undeclared work in a household comes out
In 2025 there were 239 undeclared-work inspections of private households across Switzerland, for an estimated 500'000 households with employees. An inspector at the door is rare. It usually comes out from the inside:
An accident
Without a policy the case goes to the Ersatzkasse UVG. It pays the injured worker's benefits and bills the employer the premium.
A dispute or the notice
If she claims wages, holidays or a reference, or has her contributions added by the compensation office, the employment is on the table.
An application of hers
Unemployment benefit, a permit renewal or naturalisation require proof of work and wages. Then an office asks who the employer is.
A report
Neighbours, ex-partners or competitors can report suspected cases to the cantonal inspection body.
More on this: Cleaner injured without insurance: who pays? · Study: one inspection every 2'092 years
Coming forward: what it costs and what it doesn't
Registering retroactively on your own means paying the same contributions and the same interest the calculator above shows. AHV law has no penalty-free voluntary disclosure like tax law (DBG Art. 175 Abs. 3). But making good the damage on your own can count as sincere remorse, and then the court has to reduce the penalty (StGB Art. 48).
Stop 1 · Take out accident insurance today
Step by step: Registering a cleaner retroactively · Paid in cash so far: what now? · Undeclared work check · Guide to work permits
The compensation office and the steps for your canton: register household help by canton. The same applies to a nanny or babysitter: registering a nanny retroactively.
Moving from cash to registered
Maria
online
Hi Maria, I want everything in our home to be above board. I'm registering you with the AHV, retroactively too, so you don't miss any contribution years. Your pay stays the same for you; I'll cover the contributions.
18:10Oh, that's kind, thank you! Does anything else change for me?
18:25Only for the better: you get a payslip every month and you're insured against accidents. I'll take care of the registration.
18:28Already paying someone without registration? Ask us discreetly on WhatsApp
A real person replies, usually the same day: how to get clean, what it costs and how to explain it to your cleaner. No obligation, no blame.
Conclusion: the back payment is rarely the most expensive part
For a cleaner who comes a few hours a week, the contributions usually stay a four-figure bill even after years. What cannot be paid back: criminal proceedings with a criminal-record entry, an accident without a policy, and the contribution years your cleaner is missing.
It can be put right at any time. Going to the compensation office yourself, before anything happens, means paying back and being clean from that day on.
Sample with made-up details
Registration of a household employee
to the cantonal compensation office
- Employer
- Familie Muster
- Employee
- Ana Beispiel
- AHV number
- 756.9217.0769.85
- Start
- 1 October
The first step: register your cleaner correctly. Our guide shows how in 5 steps.
To the guide: register your cleanerWhat registration costs per month is shown by our cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the penalty for undeclared work in Switzerland?
Not registering household help is an offence: a monetary penalty of up to 180 daily units (AHVG Art. 87), and the same without accident insurance (UVG Art. 112). On top come both sides' contributions for up to 5 years with 5 % default interest. Employing someone without a work permit risks prison of up to 1 year or a monetary penalty (AIG Art. 117).
Is the cleaner punished too?
Registering is the employer's responsibility. The cleaner is at risk if she has no work permit (prison up to 1 year or a monetary penalty, AIG Art. 115), does not pay tax on the wage (back tax and a fine, DBG Art. 175) or draws unemployment benefit, IV or social assistance while hiding the wage (StGB Art. 148a).
Does undeclared work lead to a criminal record?
Yes, if it ends in a conviction for an offence, for example under AHVG Art. 87, UVG Art. 112 or AIG Art. 117. A suspended monetary penalty is recorded as well (StReG Art. 18).
How much is one daily unit?
The court bases it on income, assets, standard of living and family duties: as a rule at least CHF 30 and at most CHF 3'000 (StGB Art. 34). The number of units depends on the degree of fault; a first monetary penalty is usually suspended (StGB Art. 42).
How far back can the compensation office claim contributions?
As a rule five years: the claim lapses five years after the end of the contribution year (AHVG Art. 16). If the office derives it from an offence (AHVG Art. 87), the criminal-law period applies, seven years (StGB Art. 97). Each year carries 5 % default interest from the following 1 January (AHVV Art. 41bis).
Who checks for undeclared work, and where do you report it?
Every canton has an inspection body for undeclared work, in many cantons at the office for economy and labour (BGSA Art. 4). It takes tips and, during inspections, may demand information, documents and permits (BGSA Art. 7). If you want to put your own employment right, go straight to your canton's compensation office.
Sources
- 1AHVG Art. 14, 16, 87. Duty to pay, 5-year limitation, monetary penalty up to 180 daily units. fedlex.admin.ch
- 2AHVV Art. 41bis. 5 % default interest on contributions claimed back. fedlex.admin.ch
- 3UVG Art. 73, 95, 112. Ersatzkasse, substitute premium up to double, monetary penalty. fedlex.admin.ch
- 4AIG Art. 115, 117, 122. Working and employing without a permit. fedlex.admin.ch
- 5StGB Art. 34, 42, 48, 49, 97, 148a. Daily unit, suspended penalty, mitigation, combined penalty, limitation, social benefits. fedlex.admin.ch
- 6StReG Art. 18. Which judgments go on the criminal record. fedlex.admin.ch
- 7DBG Art. 138, 175. Withholding tax and tax evasion. fedlex.admin.ch
- 8BGSA. Federal Act on Combating Undeclared Work: inspection bodies, inspections, fees. fedlex.admin.ch
- 9AHV/IV leaflet 2.06. Domestic work: obligations as a private employer. ahv-iv.ch
- 10Clino study 2026. Undeclared-work inspections of private households, based on the SECO report 2025. clino.ch
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Legal notice: This article gives general information and is not legal advice. The penalty in an individual case is set by the criminal authority. As of: federal law, October 2026.