Tax Glossary
Welcome to our comprehensive tax glossary for expats living in Switzerland. Here, we’ve compiled a list of key tax terms and definitions to help you navigate the Swiss tax landscape with confidence.
A
Aargauer Steuern: Cantonal taxes in the Swiss Canton of Aargau, including income and wealth taxes.
Abgeltungssteuer: Withholding tax applied to certain investment income, such as interest and dividends.
Anmeldefrist: The deadline for filing tax returns in Switzerland, typically at the end of March each year.
Auslandschweizer: Swiss citizens living abroad who may have specific tax obligations and benefits.
B
Basiswerts: The taxable value of real estate for calculating property taxes.
Bundessteuer: Federal taxes imposed by the Swiss government, including income tax and value-added tax (VAT).
C
Cantonal Taxes: Taxes levied by individual Swiss cantons (regions) that vary in rates and regulations.
Capital Gains Tax: Tax on profits earned from selling assets like stocks, real estate, or investments.
Contributions sociales: Social security contributions, including AHV/AVS (Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance) and other benefits.
D
Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen (DBA): Double taxation treaties between Switzerland and other countries to prevent double taxation of income.
E
Einkommenssteuer: Income tax on earnings from employment, investments, and other sources.
Eidgenössische Steuerverwaltung (ESTV): The Federal Tax Administration in Switzerland responsible for administering federal taxes.
F
Fristverlängerung: An extension of the tax filing deadline, which may be requested in certain circumstances.
G
Gemeindesteuer: Municipal taxes collected by individual communes within a canton.
L
Lumpensummenbesteuerung: A simplified tax regime allowing wealthy individuals to pay a fixed annual tax instead of income-based taxation.
N
Natural persons: Individuals, as opposed to legal entities (companies), who are subject to personal income tax.
Q
Quellensteuer: Withholding tax deducted at the source, typically applied to non-resident workers.
R
Rückerstattung: A tax refund issued by tax authorities in cases of overpayment or errors in tax assessments.
S
Staats- und Gemeindesteuern: State and municipal taxes collected at both levels of government.
Steueramt: The tax office or authority responsible for assessing and collecting taxes in a specific canton.
Steuererklärung: A tax return filed by individuals or businesses to declare their income and assets.
Steuersatz: The tax rate, which may vary for different income levels and cantons.
Steuerveranlagung: Tax assessment, the process of calculating tax liability based on the submitted tax return.
T
Tax Evasion: The illegal act of reducing tax liability by concealing income or assets from tax authorities.
U
Unternehmenssteuern: Corporate taxes levied on businesses operating in Switzerland.
V
Verrechnungssteuer: A withholding tax applied to certain financial transactions, including interest on Swiss bank accounts.
Vorbezug: Early withdrawal of vested pension assets before retirement, subject to tax.
W
Wealth Tax: A tax on an individual’s net wealth, including real estate, investments, and savings.
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