What Swiss tax actually costs you

Questions people ask about these figures

How accurate are these figures?

They are not our estimates. Every figure comes from the Federal Tax Administration's own calculation engine — the one behind the official calculator — and our mirror of it is re-verified against the administration weekly (last on 7 September 2026). When the engine cannot answer, the page says so instead of estimating.

What does the headline figure include?

Income and wealth tax at all three levels — federal, cantonal and communal — plus personal tax and, if you state a confession, church tax, for the 2025 tax year. Social contributions such as AHV and the pension fund are shown separately in the chart; they are not tax.

Why does my municipality change the number so much?

The canton computes a "simple tax" from your income and wealth; the canton and your municipality then each multiply it by their own rate. Two villages minutes apart can apply visibly different multipliers — that is what the map shows, municipality by municipality.

I am taxed at source (Quellensteuer). Does this apply to me?

Yes — the same figures apply to you. Below CHF 120,000 of gross income, tax at source is final unless you ask for an ordinary assessment, and the request must reach the canton by 31 March of the following year; above it, a return is mandatory. Enter what was withheld (salary certificate, line 12) and the report estimates what a return would give back.

Which deductions does the calculator model?

The ones the federal engine prices: pillar 3a, commuting costs, meals away from home, other professional costs, debt interest, property maintenance, and other deductions such as alimony or medical costs — plus side income, investment income and rental value, which add to income. Childcare and health-premium fields are not offered, because the engine applies fixed allowances there. The tax office decides what it finally accepts.

Is the health-insurance figure my premium?

No — it is the official average premium for your municipality’s premium region and each person’s age class, fixed yearly in a federal ordinance at the standard CHF 300 franchise. Your own franchise and insurance model will move it, usually down. It appears so the "what is left" picture is honest, not to predict your bill.

Which year do the figures cover?

The 2025 tax year. Swiss individuals file in arrears: the return due next spring covers 2025, which is why the calculator prices that year and not the current one.