Swiss wealth tax is 0.10–0.65% of your net worldwide wealth, assessed by your canton — there is no federal wealth tax. Tax-free allowances range from CHF 50,000 (Neuchâtel) to CHF 100,000 (Zug) for single taxpayers. All Swiss tax residents must declare worldwide assets as of December 31 (ESTV — Tax Burden in Switzerland) — including foreign bank accounts, crypto, and real estate.
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What is Swiss wealth tax?
Swiss wealth tax (German: Vermögenssteuer; French: impôt sur la fortune) is an annual tax on your net wealth — total assets minus total debts. It is assessed by your canton of residence and collected alongside income tax on your annual tax return.
Key facts:
- Cantonal tax only — no federal wealth tax exists in Switzerland
- Assessed annually at December 31 (year-end values)
- Applies to worldwide assets of Swiss tax residents
- Rates are low by international standards (0.1–0.7%)
- Most cantons have tax-free allowances of CHF 50,000–200,000+
What counts as taxable wealth?
You must declare the following as of December 31:
| Asset type | What to declare | Value basis |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss bank accounts | Balance as of Dec 31 | Balance statement |
| Foreign bank accounts | Balance as of Dec 31 | Balance statement |
| Swiss investment portfolios | Market value Dec 31 | Year-end statement |
| Foreign investment portfolios | Market value Dec 31 | Year-end statement |
| Shares in private companies | Assessed value (formula) | Expert valuation / cantonal formula |
| Swiss real estate | Tax value (Steuerwert) | Cantonal assessment |
| Foreign real estate | Reported, but usually exempt under DTA | Declaration required |
| Cryptocurrencies | Market value Dec 31 | ESTV published rates |
| Life insurance (surrender value) | Cash surrender value | Insurance certificate |
| Pension accounts (Pillar 3a) | Account balance | Annual certificate |
| 2nd pillar (pension fund) | Usually not counted | Reported separately |
Deducted from gross wealth:
- Swiss mortgage debt
- Consumer loans
- Credit card balances outstanding Dec 31
- Other documented debts
Wealth tax rates by canton 2025
Rates below show the effective wealth tax for CHF 1,000,000 of net taxable wealth after allowances.
| Canton | Tax-free allowance (single) | Effective rate at CHF 1M wealth |
|---|---|---|
| Zug (ZG) | CHF 100,000 | ~0.10% |
| Nidwalden (NW) | CHF 100,000 | ~0.11% |
| Obwalden (OW) | CHF 100,000 | ~0.13% |
| Schwyz (SZ) | CHF 100,000 | ~0.15% |
| Uri (UR) | CHF 75,000 | ~0.18% |
| Appenzell I.Rh. (AI) | CHF 75,000 | ~0.20% |
| Zurich (ZH) | CHF 77,000 | ~0.28% |
| Basel-Stadt (BS) | CHF 79,000 | ~0.45% |
| Geneva (GE) | CHF 83,000 | ~0.45% |
| Vaud (VD) | CHF 92,000 | ~0.38% |
| Bern (BE) | CHF 97,000 | ~0.35% |
| Neuchâtel (NE) | CHF 50,000 | ~0.65% |
| Jura (JU) | CHF 50,000 | ~0.60% |
Note: Effective rates include cantonal + communal components. Indicative only — exact rates depend on wealth level and commune. Source of truth for live cantonal rates: apps/web/lib/canton-tax-data.ts.
[!info] The 80% canton delta On CHF 1,000,000 of net wealth, moving from Neuchâtel (~CHF 6,500/year) to Zug (~CHF 1,000/year) saves roughly CHF 5,500 annually — an 80% reduction driven entirely by canton of residence. This is the single largest legal wealth-tax optimization for high-net-worth Swiss residents.
Tax-free allowances (Freibeträge)
Every canton exempts a minimum wealth amount from taxation. Below this threshold, no wealth tax applies.
Examples:
- Zurich: CHF 77,000 (single), CHF 154,000 (married couple)
- Zug: CHF 100,000 (single), CHF 200,000 (married)
- Geneva: CHF 83,000 (single) + CHF 38,000 per child
- Vaud: CHF 92,000 (single), CHF 184,000 (married)
Additional deductions apply for married couples, children, and certain investment types.
Cryptocurrencies and Swiss wealth tax
Cryptocurrencies are taxable wealth in Switzerland. The ESTV (Swiss Federal Tax Administration) publishes official end-of-year exchange rates for major cryptocurrencies:
- Bitcoin (BTC): Official CHF value as of December 31
- Ethereum (ETH): Official CHF value as of December 31
- Other coins: Market value on Dec 31; ESTV list used for listed coins
What to declare: Your crypto holdings as of December 31, valued at the ESTV-published rate (or market rate for unlisted coins).
DeFi and staking: Income from staking and yield farming is treated as taxable income (not capital gain). The underlying assets are still subject to wealth tax.
Foreign real estate and the DTA rule
If you own real estate abroad, you must declare it on your Swiss return — but it is typically exempt from Swiss wealth tax under the applicable double taxation agreement.
However, it affects your tax rate:
- Foreign real estate is declared at its market value (or tax value in the foreign country)
- Switzerland applies exemption with progression — the foreign property increases your effective tax rate on Swiss wealth
- You pay wealth tax only on Swiss assets, but at the rate that would apply to your total (Swiss + foreign) wealth
How to minimize Swiss wealth tax legally
- Choose a low-wealth-tax canton — moving from Neuchâtel to Zug can cut your wealth tax by 80%
- Maximize mortgage debt — mortgage debt reduces taxable net wealth
- Pillar 2 and 3a contributions — pension assets may receive favorable treatment
- Gift and estate planning — Swiss inheritance/gift tax rules vary by canton; early gifting to children can reduce taxable estate
- Timing of year-end balances — for moveable assets, year-end value matters
This guide does not replace individual tax advice. All information is provided without guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Switzerland has no federal wealth tax. Only cantonal wealth taxes apply — rates vary significantly between cantons. Cantons like Zug and Nidwalden have very low rates (~0.1%), while Neuchâtel and Jura have higher rates (~0.60–0.65%).
Yes. Swiss tax residents must declare all worldwide assets on their Swiss tax return, including foreign bank accounts. Switzerland participates in the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI/CRS) — foreign account data is systematically shared with Swiss tax authorities.
Cryptocurrencies are declared at their official ESTV year-end value (for listed coins) or market value (for unlisted coins) as of December 31. Crypto holdings are subject to cantonal wealth tax. Capital gains from selling crypto are generally not taxed (private investor exemption), but staking income is taxed as income.
In Canton Zurich, the tax-free allowance for a single person is CHF 77,000. On CHF 500,000 of net wealth, the taxable base is approximately CHF 423,000. The effective cantonal + communal wealth tax rate at this level is approximately 0.25–0.30%, resulting in approximately CHF 1,000–1,300 in annual wealth tax.
No. Swiss cantonal wealth tax is not deductible against Swiss income tax. It is a separate tax assessed on net wealth and paid in addition to income tax.
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