This season, a resort on the southern side of the Alps received the least snow in recorded history, according to Meteo Swiss. Between December 2016 and February 2017, the resort of Bosco-Gurin in Ticino received snow cover of only 14 cm. This is the lowest depth since the region started recording snow depth in 1961. […]
High winds swept through Switzerland over the weekend
24 Heures. Strong winds swept through the Alps over the weekend forcing the closure of a number of ski lifts. SRF Meteo reported that the Joran, a wind which blows in the Jura, reached 111 km/h at Chasseral. Organisers of the Bienne carnaval were forced to close festivities between 15:00 and 17:00 on Saturday. In 2013, […]
Swiss rents 40% too high, according to bank’s calculation
24 Heures. According to the bank Raiffeisen, if rents had followed the path prescribed in the Swiss Code of Obligations, they would be much lower. Their figures show that changes in interest rates have not flowed through to renters. If rents had fallen in step with mortgage interest rates they would be 40% lower than they […]
Proposal to remove Swiss home-owner tax rejected
In Switzerland, those who own the home they live in must add imputed rent to their income when calculating their income tax. This means owner-occupiers are taxed for living in their own homes, an odd concept for some who are new to Switzerland. In addition to paying tax on imputed rent, home owner-occupiers can deduct […]
Swiss government drops plan to restrict lobbyists’ access to parliament
One year after Switzerland’s Council of States (upper house) voted in favour of controlling lobbyists’ access to parliament, the draft proposed implementation plan has been rejected by the commission in charge of it. Back in March 2016, the Council of States voted in favour of a parliamentary initiative put forward by state councillor Didier Berberat calling for those accessing parliament to […]
Government stops tax rises on Swiss cigarettes
Swiss cigarette prices will not rise over the coming years unless manufacturers increase the underlying price. On Tuesday, Switzerland’s Council of States (upper house), withheld permission to allow the Federal Council (cabinet) to continue hiking the tax on smokes. From 2005 to 2015, the price of Switzerland’s best selling cigarettes rose from CHF 6 to […]
Sender must now pay Swiss Post for customs checks
Currently, anyone ordering something from outside Switzerland, must pay Swiss Post an administrative charge if their package attracts import tax (duty and/or VAT). In addition, they must pay Swiss Post an additional CHF 13 if the parcel needs to be opened, usually because the package has been poorly labelled. Swiss Post has a contract with Swiss customs […]
Acceleration in number of Swiss emigrating
According to government statistics released today, the number of Swiss living abroad increased by 2.9% in 2016, reaching close to 775,000. This means around 1 in 9 Swiss nationals lives outside Switzerland. Growth in the number leaving has been accelerating. In previous years the growth rate was around 2%. At the end of 2015, there were 8,327,126 […]
Swiss drug prices more than double european average – “Mr Price” takes aim
Switzerland’s public price watchdog chief, Stefan Meierhans, also know as “Mr Price”, has taken aim at high Swiss drug prices. A report published last week shows prices of generic drugs are nearly 2.4 times more expensive in Switzerland compared to the average price across 15 european countries. Generic drugs in the Netherlands cost 8% of what […]
Bank drops plan to loosen Swiss mortgage restrictions
The bank Raiffeisen has dropped its attempt to reduce minimum deposit requirements for home loans, according to RTS. Last autumn, it unveiled plans to reduce loan deposit requirements. However, last week, the bank announced that FINMA, Switzerland’s financial regulator, was opposed to the idea. FINMA sets guidelines for mortgage lending in Switzerland which banks follow. […]
