Guide

Clear, sourced articles on Swiss taxes and pensions — to go with our calculators.

• Withholding tax in Switzerland: the guide for expats

  How withholding tax works for foreign employees: tariff codes, the CHF 120,000 threshold, tariff correction and what you can reclaim.

  Updated: 13.07.2026

• Staggered pillar 3a withdrawal: how to lower the withdrawal tax

  With several 3a accounts and a staggered withdrawal over several years, the capital-benefits tax can be reduced considerably. Here is how staggering works.

  Updated: 13.07.2026

• Changing canton: how much tax a move really saves

  A move to a cheaper canton can save thousands of francs a year. What matters at the 31 December reference date and how to calculate the saving realistically.

  Updated: 13.07.2026

• Marriage and taxes: the marriage penalty, splitting and the second-earner deduction

  Why some couples pay more tax after marriage and others less: how splitting, the married-couple schedule and the second-earner deduction affect the progression.

  Updated: 13.07.2026

• Withholding tax or ordinary assessment: which applies to you?

  When you stay taxed at source, when subsequent ordinary assessment (SOA) kicks in — and when the voluntary application by 31 March pays off.

  Updated: 15.07.2026

• 13th month salary: entitlement, payout and deductions

  Who is entitled to the 13th month salary, when is it paid, which social contributions and taxes apply — and what holds for hourly pay and resignation?

  Updated: 15.07.2026

• Cross-border commuters: how Switzerland taxes you

  Withholding tax for commuters from Germany (4.5%), France (special agreement), Italy and Austria — the rules, the exceptions and the 60-day limit.

  Updated: 15.07.2026

• Pillar 3a or 3b: what is the difference — and which suits you?

  Restricted or flexible retirement savings? Tax deduction, lock-up, wealth tax and withdrawal compared — and when each pillar makes sense.

  Updated: 16.07.2026

• Cutting your Swiss health insurance premiums: the five levers that work

  Deductible, insurance model, switching insurer, accident cover and premium subsidies: how to pay less for identical basic-insurance benefits.

  Updated: 16.07.2026

• The Swiss tax return: deadlines, extensions and the deductions that matter

  When the tax return is due, how to extend the deadline and which deductions not to forget — from work-related costs to pillar 3a and childcare.

  Updated: 16.07.2026

• Pension fund & BVG explained simply: where your salary goes

  Coordination deduction, insured salary, age-dependent retirement credits and the point of buy-ins — the second pillar made understandable, with the 2026 figures.

  Updated: 16.07.2026

• The AHV explained simply: contributions, pension and the 13th AHV pension

  How the AHV works: who pays how much, what determines the pension amount, what contribution gaps cost — and what applies with the 13th AHV pension from 2026.

  Updated: 17.07.2026

• Working part-time in Switzerland: what happens to salary, pension and taxes

  Part-time and multiple jobs: why the coordination deduction penalises small workloads, when no BVG cover applies and what to watch for tax-wise.

  Updated: 17.07.2026

• Understanding your Swiss payslip: every deduction explained

  AHV, ALV, NBU, BVG, KTG, withholding tax: what every line of your payslip means, how the deductions are calculated and which figures you should check.

  Updated: 17.07.2026

• Bonus and gratuity in Switzerland: entitlement, deductions and the tax effect

  When a discretionary bonus becomes an entitlement, which social contributions apply to bonuses and how to soften the tax effect of a good year.

  Updated: 17.07.2026

All articles are for general information and do not replace individual tax advice. How we calculate and where our figures come from: see the methodology.