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Tax guides

Clear, practical guidance on the Swiss tax return for individuals and families. We explain deductions in plain language, so you keep track of what matters and file with more confidence.

Detail of a modern Swiss glass and concrete facade against an overcast sky, cool blue-grey lines, a single red element as the only warm accent

Tax guides

The Swiss securities register: where your 31 December tax value comes from (2025)

The tax value of listed securities at 31 December comes from the Federal Tax Administration's price list, not from your bank's custody statement. How the valuation works, for the 2025 tax period.

07.09.2026 · 9 min read

Swiss old-town lane on an overcast day, cool blue-grey stone facades, a single red postbox as the only strong colour

Tax guides

What a tax deduction actually saves you (2025 tax year)

A CHF 1'000 deduction does not cut your tax bill by CHF 1'000. What it is really worth depends on your income and on your municipality. Worked through for the 2025 tax year.

03.09.2026 · 8 min read

Snow-covered Swiss alpine valley at blue hour, a weathered red marker post standing in the foreground

Tax guides

Pillar 3a buy-in: 2026 is the first year it works

Pillar 3a has allowed buy-ins since 2025, but 2026 is the first year one is possible. What you can pay in for a 2025 gap, who qualifies, and how the deduction lands.

31.08.2026 · 7 min read

Close-up of a closed brass letterbox flap on a deep navy wall, with one small red detail

Tax guides

Ermessensveranlagung: when the Swiss tax office estimates your taxes

What a discretionary assessment is, how high the canton estimates, why objecting to one is harder than usual, and what has to happen within 30 days.

27.08.2026 · 7 min read

A Swiss old-town riverfront at blue hour seen from a rooftop, reflections in still water, warm window lights, a single red awning as the only strong colour accent

Tax guides

Deducting further education costs: the 2025 caps in seven cantons

One course invoice, two ceilings: for tax year 2025 Zurich allows CHF 12'400, Aargau CHF 18'000, and the direct federal tax CHF 13'000 everywhere. What counts as job-related, what your employer's contribution removes, and which year the invoice belongs to.

17.08.2026 · 8 min read

Deserted railway platform at dawn, wet paving and tracks running into the blue, a single red signal lamp the only warm colour

Tax guides

Two employers, a change of hours: the 2025 Zurich tax return

Two salary certificates in one year, a lower workload, a gap in between. What actually changes on a canton Zurich return for the 2025 tax year, which deduction you only get once, and where the working days decide.

10.08.2026 · 7 min read

Macro shot of a worn brass window handle on a deep navy surface, a trace of red paint on the fitting

Tax guides

Property maintenance deductions in Switzerland: what counts for 2025

Which part of a renovation is deductible maintenance, which part sits on the shelf until you sell, and why canton Zurich and the federal tax put two different flat rates on the same return. With the quotas from Zurich's own catalogue.

06.08.2026 · 12 min read

Old-town lane in Bern with arcades on an overcast day, the front of a red tram the only strong colour

Tax guides

Bern's second 2026 tax instalment, payable by 19.09.2026

The second instalment bill falls due on 20.08.2026 and is payable within 30 days. What the 70 per cent actually means, how the 4.00 % default interest works, and what canton Bern publishes if you can't pay.

03.08.2026 · 9 min read

Mountain lake in morning mist, a red regional train crossing the lakeside causeway

Tax guides

Swiss tax return deadline extension 2026: what is still possible

How long you really have to file the 2025 tax return in AG, ZH, LU, SO, BE, ZG and SZ: the deadlines, the second extension tier, the fees, and what happens if you do nothing at all.

27.07.2026 · 9 min read

Reading chair with a dark red wool blanket beside a floor lamp at an evening window

Tax guides

Getting your Swiss tax return done: costs in 2026

What having your Swiss tax return prepared costs in 2026: services from CHF 35, fiduciaries from about CHF 150 to over CHF 1'500, the free cantonal portal and TaxWize at CHF 39. With sources and dates.

13.07.2026 · 9 min read

White double-deck train with red doors at a misty Swiss platform at dawn

Tax guides

Taxed at source in Switzerland? When filing a tax return gets money back (2026)

If you are taxed at source, filing a tax return can refund overpaid withholding tax. When it is worth it, the CHF 120'000 rule, the 31 March deadline, and the Q4 myth.

12.07.2026 · 7 min read

Red tram in a Bernese old-town lane with cobblestones and overhead lines

Tax guides

Your commute and work costs: flat rate or actual receipts?

How Switzerland's work-expense deductions actually work: commuting (and why you usually deduct the train, not the car), the lunch deduction, and the flat rate vs. itemising. With Zurich and Aargau figures.

03.06.2026 · 5 min read

Modern car key fob with a red accent ring on dark blue fabric

Tax guides

Your car in your tax return: what it's worth, and why

How a private car is declared as wealth in Switzerland, how its tax value falls each year, and what changes with a used car, a leasing buyout, or a classic car.

02.06.2026 · 5 min read

Snowed-in village lane in December light, a red sled leaning against the fence

Tax guides

Pillar 3a and tax: from your first payment to retirement

Pillar 3a is Switzerland's most popular tax deduction. The full picture: what you save now, how the payout is taxed at retirement, and what changes if you use it to buy a home.

31.05.2026 · 6 min read

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