CBB-TAX Consulting

CBB-TAX is a Lausanne-based tax advisory company specializing in expat tax returns and personal finance for arrivals to Switzerland. The firm is owned and managed by Caroline Bumann, a Swiss tax professional who practices in English, French, and Swiss German, and works with private clients, high-net-worth individuals, foreign executives, entrepreneurs, and cross-border workers. CBB-TAX's services span the full lifecycle of Swiss tax compliance for an arriving household or professional.

Getting Started as an Incoming Expat

The firm positions itself explicitly for people arriving to Switzerland and stabilizing their tax affairs for the first time. Its standard opening process asks you to contact the firm with a short description of your request, then provide a copy of your last year's tax return if applicable. Once CBB-TAX has reviewed your situation, you receive a service and fee proposal. On acceptance, the firm provides a checklist of required documents and information, then assesses your personal tax situation, guides you through your obligations, and delivers comprehensive solutions. The site does not specify a timeline for this process.

CBB-TAX emphasizes that every client is unique, and its approach rests on professionalism, thoroughness, and building long-term relationships of trust. The firm offers multilingual, comprehensive services across all tax areas for various cantons, including general tax assistance, tax return preparation, non-resident filing, assistance with lump sum taxation, tax optimization, tax advice, and support to cross-border workers.

What the Firm Covers

The firm's service list spans specific situations that arrivals commonly face. General tax assistance includes handling ongoing tax matters, review or adjustment of tax instalments, review of and appeal against tax assessments, tax projection, and assistance with tax authority information requests. Tax return preparation includes annual filing with a personalized checklist, deadline extensions, tax estimates, intercantonal and international tax allocation, and review of tax assessments.

For those with complex situations, CBB-TAX offers tax planning and advice analyzing a client's situation on pension versus capital for retirement, cantonal residency questions, pension buy-backs, and obtaining tax rulings (like for employee share schemes or representation allowances). For non-Swiss tax residents and cross-border workers, the firm handles rectification of tax-at-source calculations, covering both Swiss tax matters and ongoing assistance for foreign working days.

Other specialties include voluntary tax disclosure to regularize prior tax years, assistance with lump sum taxation agreements from tax authorities, and analysis of Swiss and international social security to determine applicable legislation. The firm also advises on capital gains tax, inheritance tax, gift tax, and real estate matters.

The Lawyer's Background and Scope

Caroline Bumann's experience informs the firm's positioning. She trained within a Big Four firm and has worked internationally: several years in Sydney, Australia, and in New York, with practice spanning multiple Swiss cantons (Vaud, Geneva, Berne, and Neuchâtel). That background means she understands international tax mandates and the complex tax situations that locally mobile and internationally mobile clients face.

The firm emphasizes that Swiss tax law constantly evolves, and filing an annual tax return can be complex and time-consuming. It positions its expertise as covering all tax areas for both Swiss tax residents and tax non-residents, expats, and foreign executives. The site does not specify how long the firm has traded or how many clients it serves beyond saying it was founded by Caroline Bumann.

What CBB-TAX Does Not Publish

The site makes no mention of how fees are calculated beyond stating that services are charged on an hourly basis, with other criteria such as urgency and complexity potentially affecting the final cost. No specific hourly rates are published, and no fee bands or estimate guides appear on the site. The FAQ suggests that using a tax consultant reduces compliance risk and identifies possible deductions while accounting for double tax treaties, but no guarantees of savings or specific tax optimization outcomes are stated.

The firm does not list accreditations, regulatory memberships, or client references by name (though one testimonial from Rachel de Leon is visible, dated January 27, 2025, and rated 5 out of 5). No timeline commitments for turnaround on tax returns or other services are published, and no bulk discount structure or package pricing is mentioned.

Process and Transparency

CBB-TAX's process emphasizes clarity at every stage. The firm asks that you contact them with a short description of your request and, if applicable, a copy of your last year's tax return. This initial contact gives the firm enough detail to develop a tailored proposal. After proposal acceptance, the firm provides a checklist of required documents, assesses your personal tax situation, guides you through obligations, and delivers comprehensive solutions. The site does not specify a fixed timeline for this process, and because complexity is a cost driver, turnaround varies by situation.

The firm publishes one public testimonial from a satisfied client attesting to its approach, though no other client references are named. The firm's founder's experience (Big Four, international postings, multiple cantons) and specialization suggest capability in handling new-arrival scenarios and common relocation complications.

Who This Suits and Who It Does Not

CBB-TAX is built for arriving expats and international professionals who need to stabilize their Swiss tax situation quickly and correctly. If you are a foreign executive relocating to Geneva, Vaud, or another German-speaking canton, speak English, French, or Swiss German, and need someone to guide you through your first Swiss tax return with the confidence that complex situations (share schemes, international assets, multiple cantons) will be handled correctly, CBB-TAX is a fit. The firm's explicit positioning for expats and its founder's international background (Big Four, Sydney, New York, multiple cantons) make it particularly relevant for people navigating relocation for the first time.

The firm is less suited to those wanting a fixed, published fee upfront or a budget-based service. Because charges are hourly and complexity is a cost driver, the total fee for a given return is not predictable until after the firm has reviewed your file. Those needing insurance protection against professional mistakes, specific accreditation assurances, or a published service level agreement should clarify these explicitly with the firm before engaging. Those relocating to French-speaking cantons may want to verify whether the firm's expertise extends beyond the German-speaking regions where Caroline Bumann's practice has focused.