The tax havens of Switzerland

Some cynics say that the only certainty in the world is the obligation to pay taxes. However, how much tax you have to pay largely depends on where you live. For high earners, the biggest tax haven has changed this year.

As before, one finds tax havens particularly in Central Switzerland. For married working professionals with two children and an income of a million, it is most advantageous – in terms of income tax – to live in Baar in Zug. There, the income tax burden would be 9.59%. Thus, Baar has displaced the municipality of Wollerau from the first rank as a tax haven. Wollerau, due to repeated increases in cantonal tax, is in second place with 9.78%. At the other end of the scale, the municipality of Schelten in the Bernese Jura is at 27.67%. How high the tax burden actually is, however, also depends on many individual factors such as one's denomination (due to church tax) or what deductions one can make.

Moreover, the tax savings are directly swallowed up by higher rents. In tax hells, due to lower demand for apartments, the rental prices are often much cheaper. Roughly estimated, for a family renting a four-room apartment, moving to a tax haven only becomes worthwhile from an income of CHF 150,000.

Where the tax burden of income tax is most expensive can be easily and comfortably determined using the interactive map from Tagesanzeiger.

Findea helps you keep your taxes simple and hassle-free.