Swiss cantons have very different tax bases, tax rates and costs. To even things up rich cantons are required to help those with less money via a system set up in 2008 known as the péréquation financière nationale (French) or Nationaler Finanzausgleich (German).
This week, the government decided on next year’s payments.
The system relies on complicated formulae based on the tax and cost bases of each canton.
In 2021, the top three payers will be Zurich (CHF 575 million), Zug (CHF 331 million) and Geneva (CHF 321 million), while the top three recipients will be Bern (CHF 842 million), Valais (CHF 678 million) and Aargau (CHF 485 million). Vaud will pay CHF 6 million and Basel-City CHF 146 million.
On top of the contributions made by rich cantons, the federal government adds a sizeable sum. In 2021, on top of the CHF 1.64 billion contributed by the wealthy cantons, Bern will add CHF 2.45 billion.
The residents of the cantons of Jura, Valais and Uri will receive the highest amounts per capita of CHF 2,291, CHF 2,275 and CHF 1,694 per resident respectively, while the top per-capita payers will be Zug (CHF 2,662), Schwyz (CHF 1,275) and Nidwalden (CHF 905). For Vaud (CHF -111), Geneva (CHF 386) and Zurich (CHF 335) residents the per capita sums will be lower.
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Federal government press release (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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