SUISA Pension Fund for Authors and Publishers (SPF)

SUISA Pension Fund for Authors and Publishers fulfils a social function and contributes to the retirement pension of SUISA members and principals. The Pension Fund grants pension benefits of authors and publishers who satisfy certain conditions.

The SUISA Pension Fund for Authors and Publishers  was established on 10 June 1941; it is funded by SUISA through a 7.5% deduction on all performance and broadcasting right and remuneration claims settlements in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The purpose of the Pension Fund is to protect SUISA's members and principals, and their respective survivors, against the economic consequences of retirement and disability, and to contribute to their retirement benefits.

Overview of benefits to publishers

Publishers receive pension benefits from the SPF in the form of contributions to their own second-pillar employee benefits scheme as soon as they become principals or members of SUISA.

A publisher must have a second-pillar occupational benefit institution serving to protect its manager and employees residing in Switzerland or Liechtenstein against the economic consequences of retirement and disability, and their survivors in the event of their death. The prerequisite is compulsory or voluntary affiliation with a registered occupational benefits institution and the Substitute Occupational Benefits Institution.

For this purpose, publishing houses must announce their occupational benefits institution to SUISA along with the relevant payment instructions for the benefits.

The benefits paid to publishers are expressed as a percentage of their settlements from SUISA for performance and broadcasting rights in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The percentage varies depending on income level and whether the publisher is an original publisher or a subpublisher.

Special case of one-person companies: publishers having reached retirement age

As a rule, pension plan contributions can only be paid until normal retirement age. By law, publishers who work beyond the normal retirement age of 65 are permitted to continue contributing to their pension plan for another five years at the most. They may keep their second-pillar accounts or open new ones. For the time being, they are no longer allowed to pay into the SPF beyond the age of 70. 

Benefits for authors

The SPF also offers benefits to authors. The benefits system for authors is structured differently, however. The benefits are explained under: “Pension Fund for Authors”