A 4-day work week on 100% pay has become a reality at some small businesses in Switzerland, reports RTS. Andreas Ott, the owner of a small graphic design studio in the canton of Aargau told the SonntagsZeitung that his clients reported no issues with staff taking Fridays off. Ott introduced the concept several years ago […]
Higher tax deductions for parents in Switzerland starting in 2023
This week, Switzerland’s government set a date for the introduction of more generous tax deductions for childcare. From 1 January 2023, parents will be able to deduct up to CHF 25,000 per child in childcare costs from their annual taxable income, reported RTS. Currently, the maximum is CHF 10,100 per child. The change is the […]
Vote against Swiss “Netflix tax” passes signature hurdle
In October 2021, Switzerland’s government created a law requiring online streaming services to pay money into a Swiss cinema fund. Under the law, from 2024, streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ will need to pay a levy equivalent to 4% of their Swiss turnover into the fund, which would be spent on producing Swiss […]
US diplomats in Geneva report suffering from Havana syndrome
Several US diplomats in Geneva appear to be victims of the Havana syndrome, according to RTS. The mysterious syndrome was first reported in Havana in Cuba in 2016 by US and Canadian embassy staff, but may have been occurring earlier. The symptoms include ear pain and ringing, nausea, disorientation, dizziness and cognitive difficulties. Brain scans […]
1 in 7 new cars in Switzerland were electric and nearly half were 4x4s in 2021
Recent data on new car sales in Switzerland in 2021 show that 31,823 new electric cars were registered in 2021. The data also show that 48% of new registrations were 4x4s. Electric cars made up 13% of the 238,481 new vehicles registered in Switzerland in 2021. Diesel (42%), petrol (14%) and hybrid (31%) cars made […]
Long term mortgage rates rising in Switzerland
Over the last few years mortgage interest rates have been exceptionally low in Switzerland. However, since mid-December 2021 they have risen and are at levels last seen in 2018. According to recent data collected the newspaper Finanz und Wirtschaft, Swiss mortgage interest rates are 0.25 percentage points higher than a month earlier. 10-year guide rates […]
New Swiss company tax rate set for 2024
On 12 January 2022, the Federal Council decided to implement the minimum tax rate for companies that was agreed by the OECD and G20 member states last year. The 15% minimum tax rate is to come into force on 1 January 2024. The new minimum 15% tax rate, which will apply to multinational companies with […]
Majority against a general 30 km/hour speed limit in Swiss cities
The number of 30 km/hour speed zones is rising in Swiss cities and towns. Some are considering plans such as making 30 km/hour zones standard and 50 km/hour zones an exception. However, a recent poll suggests 84% of the population supports the current system of a 50 km/hour standard limit, with exceptions for 30 km/hour […]
US court rejects Swiss Gruyere cheese challenge
In Switzerland, Gruyère is a cheese with a strict recipe originally produced in a region (with a town) of the same name in the Swiss canton of Fribourg. On 7 January 2022, a judge at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia affirmed a ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark […]
No weakening expected in Swiss house prices
The Swiss housing market continues to rise with no signs of weakening, reported RTS this week. According to the real estate platform immoscout24, the average price per m2 for a family home in Switzerland has risen from CHF 6,700 to CHF 7,200 over the last 12 months, a rise of 7%. Apartment prices have risen […]
