In Switzerland, an official document showing your debt status from the local debt collection register is required for a number of administrative tasks in Switzerland. For example, when applying for an apartment rental agreement or Swiss citizenship. Known as an extrait du registre des poursuites in French or a Betreibungsauszug in German, the document can […]
Swiss tax free shopping allowance set to be cut from 300 to 50 francs
Switzerland is expensive. The prices of certain items, such as some meats and dairy products are kept especially high by a combination of trade tariffs and import restrictions. A lack of retail competition further adds to prices generally. For some, shopping across the border is the preferred way to avoid high Swiss prices. Around CHF […]
Swiss women may soon join men to guard the Pope
Plans are reportedly afoot to include women in the currently all-male Swiss papal guard. Swiss women could be on guard from 2027 if the plan is ratified by the Pope, according to RTS. The move, which would be seen as symbolic, would also address the shortage of candidates. It is a decision that has been […]
Swiss health insurers to refund 300 million francs
Switzerland’s largest health insurers are poised to refund around CHF 300 million to policy holders, reported RTS. Switzerland’s health insurers have reserves of roughly CHF 12 billion, around 2 times the minimum reserve requirement, and have been under pressure from the government to return the money to policy holders. This week Switzerland’s parliament decided to […]
Commission alarmed by the state of Switzerland’s soil
Ultimately, the plants we eat are made up of energy from the sun and compounds and elements extracted from the soil. Meat, eggs and diary are the same, just one step removed. This means the availability and nutritional value of food is heavily dependent on healthy soil. A recently released commission report raises the alarm […]
Number of vacant homes in Switzerland drops for first time in 12 years
Finding a place to live in Switzerland is difficult. Home availability is low and prices are high. On 13 September 2021, the Federal Statistical Office published data showing a sharp drop in the number of vacant homes since 2020, a development that will make home hunting harder. On 1 June 2021, there were 71,365 vacant […]
Swiss minister accused of breaking constitutional principle
Constitutionally, the title of president in Switzerland is only ceremonial. All seven members of the Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive, have equal power and are required to govern by harmonious consensus, a principle known as collegiality. This means that all federal councillors are expected to present a united front to the public even when they don’t […]
Swiss to vote on higher taxes for investors and company owners
On 26 September 2021, Swiss voters will decide whether to introduce a tax increase on money earned from company ownership and investments. The initiative named ‘Reduce tax on salaries, tax capital fairly’ aims to have income derived from investments and company ownership taxed at 150% of the rate applied to other income. The argument put […]
One more reason why Switzerland is so expensive
There are many theories on why the prices of certain goods and services are so high in Switzerland. A well-known economic phenomenon can be added to them. Theories that help to explain Switzerland’s high prices include, import restrictions and tariffs on products in protected industries like agriculture, high Swiss operating costs, anticompetitive deals struck by […]
Swiss economy bounces back from second Covid slump
Swiss GDP grew by 1.8% in the second quarter of 2021 after contracting by 0.4% in the first quarter of the year, according to figures published by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. Much of the bounce back was in the services sector as Covid measures were relaxed. Private consumption recovered strongly and industry also […]
