Hugues Salomé

Partner, KPMG Switzerland

Swiss and International Taxation

Family Offices & Private Clients

I am Hugues Salomé, a partner at KPMG Switzerland and in charge of the firm’s Private Clients practice. I am a Swiss international tax advisor based in Geneva. I advise family offices and entrepreneurs on the structuring, protection and transfer of wealth, taking into account tax, legal and governance aspects across multiple jurisdictions. I also assist high-net-worth individuals relocating to Switzerland and in negotiating tax rulings.

Publications

• La STAK hollandaise – une perspective suisse, Revue Fiscale – Steuerrevue, Dec 1, 2025, p. 863-878 (co-author with Cees Nijman). German version of the contribution. This contribution is the first article published in a Swiss tax journal to specifically address the Swiss tax treatment of a Dutch STAK. It focuses in particular on the use of STAK in an estate planning context and to manage equity incentives for executives.

• Is the End of Nationality Planning Nigh? Key Parallels between Double Taxation Treaties and IIAs, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, Nov 17, 2021. This blog post examines the interaction between double tax treaties and international investment agreements, with a particular focus on how anti-abuse clauses on the tax side may restrict structuring options in the field of investment treaties. It highlights the importance of assessing the robustness of ownership structures from both perspectives.

• France – Suisse – échange d’information: le forfait fiscal en prime, Option finance, issue n° 1151, 2019, p. 47-50 (co-author with Georges Morisson-Couderc)

• The BEPS Multilateral Instrument – General overview and focus on treaty abuse, IFF Forum für    Steuerrecht, 2017/3, p. 197 to 247 (co-author with Robert Danon). This contribution provides a detailed analysis of the new anti-abuse clauses introduced through the BEPS Multilateral Instrument and implemented in double taxation treaties. It focuses in particular on the Principal Purpose Test (PPT), a key standard in the design and assessment of cross-border ownership structures.

• L’échange spontané de «rulings», Archives de droit fiscal suisse (ASA), Issue 85/9, 2017, p. 513-562. This contribution focuses on the obligation imposed on countries to spontaneously exchange tax rulings with other states. It highlights that this is one element of a broader framework of fiscal transparency, which must be taken into account when assessing the risks faced by HNWIs, including beyond strictly tax matters.

• BEPS Action 2, Treaty Provisions on Hybrid Entities in: Danon R. (ed.), Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), Impact for European and International Tax Policy, Zurich, 2016, p. 65-99

• Commentaire des articles 10, 11, 12, 13 al. 3 let. b à d et al. 4 de la loi fédérale sur l’impôt fédéral direct in: Aubry-Girardin D. & Noël Y. (Eds.), Impôt fédéral direct: commentaire de la loi sur l’impôt fédéral direct: commentaire romand), Helbing & Lichtenhahn, Basel, 2017

• Commentary on application of tax treaties to hybrid entities, Modèle de Convention fiscal OCDE concernant le revenue et la fortune, Danon/Gutmann/Oberson/Pistone (ed.), Basel, 2014 (co-author with Robert Danon)

• Qualification of Taxable Entities and Treaty Protection, Cahiers de droit fiscal international (CDFI), Volume 99b, 2014, p. 797-813 (co-author with Jessica Salom)

• De la double imposition internationale, Archives de droit fiscal suisse (ASA), Issue 73/6-7, 2005, p. 337-390 (co-author with Robert Danon). While the primary purpose of this contribution is to explore the concept of international taxation in relation to tax treaties, it also addresses issues relevant to management incentive arrangements, including timing mismatches and conflicts of qualification.

• La double non-imposition, rapport national suisse, Cahiers de droit fiscal international (CDFI), Volume LXXXVIVa, 2004, pp. 677

• The OECD Partnership Report: A Swiss View on Conflicts of QualificationInternational Tax Review (Kluwer), 2003, pp. 190-196 (co-author with Robert Danon)

• Le conflit de qualification en droit fiscal international, Archives de droit fiscal suisse (ASA), 71/5, 2002, p. 257-274 (co-author with Robert Danon).

• International Taxation of Partnerships: Divergencies in the Personal Attribution of Income, Zurich, Brussels, 2002. This book addresses the tax characterization of partnerships and the impact on the application of double taxation treaties of states having diverging views on this question.

• La non-discrimination d’établissements stables de sociétés étrangères dans les relations triangulaires: analyse de l’arrêt Saint-Gobain et de la clause de non-discrimination des CDI suisse, Archives de droit fiscal suisse (ASA) 70/8, pp. 461-487 (co-author with Robert Danon)

• Switzerland – Commissionaires Structures – Latest Tax Developments, International Tax Review, 2002, p. 151-152 (co-author with Robert Danon)

• L’attribution du revenu en droit fiscal international: point de vue franco- suisse sur l’arrêt société Schneider Electric du 28 juin 2002, Revue de droit administratif et fiscal (RDAF), 2002, p. 289-302 (co-author with Robert Danon)

• The New Swiss-Israeli Tax Treaty, International Tax Review (Kluwer), 2004, p. 339-442 (co-author with Robert Danon)

Interviews

• 16 November 2022: Interview by Grant Wardell Johnson, KPMG Global Tax Policy Leader on the impact of climate change actions on international investment agreements. This interview examines recent policy changes affecting international investment agreements, with a particular focus on the Energy Charter Treaty and its interaction with climate-related regulatory objectives. In essence, the discussion illustrates the increasing convergence between tax policy developments and investment treaty frameworks, underlining the need for a coordinated approach to cross-border investment structuring.

• 1st November 2024: Interview in l’AGEFI on why HNWIs located in the UK may consider relocating to the Lake Geneva area.

• 13th January 2025: Interview in Bilan on Switzerland’s increasing attractiveness for high-net-worth individuals following the repeal of the UK resident non-domiciled regime.

• 26th February 2026: Interview in l’AGEFI on the topic of emerging countries catching up with Switzerland in attracting wealthy individuals. This interview highlights the increasing mobility of global wealth and that emerging countries are increasingly competing with Switzerland. I emphasized, however, that it remains one of the most attractive destinations for HNWIs, not least for reasons of life style, education, safety and privacy.

Professional profiles

KPMG Switzerland (primary profile)

Linkedin (updates and insights)