Wealth guide
Visualising the wealth structure: the structure chart
Updated: · Leutrim Miftaraj, FLIORE · Editorial standards · Other languages: Deutsch · Français · Español
Short answer
A structure chart shows on one page who holds what: family members, companies, foundations and trusts with ownership percentages, roles such as founder, trustee or protector, countries of seat and beneficial owners. Banks require it at account opening, auditors when establishing beneficial owners, heirs in succession. It must be dated, complete and consistent with the registers.
What the chart is needed for
- Account opening and periodic review at banks.
- Establishing the beneficial owners across several levels.
- Classification for AEOI/CRS and FATCA.
- Tax planning and discussions with advisers.
- Succession planning and informing the next generation.
- Audits by the supervisor, an SRO or an audit firm.
What a good chart shows
Every entity with its legal form, country of seat and, where available, register number. Every participation with its percentage of capital and of votes where these differ. For foundations and trusts, the roles: founder or settlor, foundation board or trustee, protector, beneficiaries. At the top, the natural persons who are the beneficial owners. Plus date and status – a chart without a date is worthless to a bank.
Drawing rules
- Natural persons at the top, assets at the bottom; ownership flows from top to bottom.
- Consistent shapes per legal form, for example rectangles for companies, ovals for foundations, diamonds for trusts.
- Write the percentage on every connection; draw control without capital (such as a protector) as a dashed line.
- Mark countries of seat with country codes.
- Put a legend and a date on every chart.
Common problems
The chart comes from a presentation three years old and shows a company liquidated long ago. Percentages do not add up to 100. Different banks have received different versions. Fiduciary arrangements cannot be seen. Each of these discrepancies leads to queries from banks and to findings in audits.
One chart, one source
The chart is most reliable when it is generated directly from the recorded data rather than from a drawing program. The picture then changes automatically when a participation is sold or a foundation board member is replaced, and every recipient receives the same, current version.
In FLIORE
FLIORE's Wealth Map shows mandates and beneficial owners as a structure graph with percentages and roles – generated from the same data that consolidation, risk assessment and the AEOI/CRS pre-check also use.
At a glance
| Mandatory content | Entities, legal form, seat, percentages, roles, beneficial owners, date |
|---|---|
| Recipients | Banks, auditors, advisers, family |
| Main weakness | Outdated versions without a date |
Terms on this page
- Beneficial owner
- The natural person who ultimately owns or controls a company, foundation or trust, or on whose behalf a transaction is carried out.
- Protector
- A person or body that supervises the trustee of a trust or the board of a foundation and holds certain consent rights.
- FATCA
- US law under which foreign financial institutions must report accounts of US persons to the US tax authority, the IRS.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a rule on how a structure chart must look?
No. Banks have their own preferences, but they expect completeness, percentages, roles and a date. A clear legend helps understanding.
Do the family's private accounts belong in the chart?
As a rule, not in detail. The chart shows structures and ownership; individual accounts belong in the wealth overview.
How often must the chart be updated?
With every structural change and at least at the periodic KYC review. If it is generated from the recorded data, it is automatically current.
How are fiduciary arrangements shown?
With a marking of their own: the nominee holds formally, the principal is the beneficial owner. Both belong in the chart so that the bank can see the actual situation.
Which software is suitable for structure charts?
Drawing programs produce attractive pictures that must be updated by hand with every change. A chart generated from the recorded participations and roles is more reliable, because it always matches the current data.
Sources
- FATF – Guidance on Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons
- Swiss Bankers Association – code of conduct with regard to due diligence (CDB)
- OECD – Common Reporting Standard (CRS)
This page provides orientation and does not replace legal or tax advice. The cited legal sources in their applicable version are authoritative.
Read more
More on Wealth & reporting
FLIORE in your family office
See structures, compliance and consolidated wealth with your own questions – in a personal demo.