by In Switzerland, marriage can increase the amount of tax a couple pays, something referred to as the marriage penalty. © Katarzyna Bialasiewicz | Dreamstime.comHigher tax is levied on married couples because they are assessed on their combined income rather than separately. Another argument against the current system is that it presents an economic barrier for second income earners who are married. This is because the second income is taxed at a higher rate than the first as it moves married couples’ combined income into a higher tax bracket. And given most second income earners are women it impacts them more significantly. The issue has been raised by numerous politicians over the years and some have decided to precipitate change by putting the question to the public. This
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In Switzerland, marriage can increase the amount of tax a couple pays, something referred to as the marriage penalty.
Higher tax is levied on married couples because they are assessed on their combined income rather than separately.
Another argument against the current system is that it presents an economic barrier for second income earners who are married. This is because the second income is taxed at a higher rate than the first as it moves married couples’ combined income into a higher tax bracket. And given most second income earners are women it impacts them more significantly.
The issue has been raised by numerous politicians over the years and some have decided to precipitate change by putting the question to the public.
This week, the group organising the vote announced that it had collected the required 100,000 signatures required to launch a referendum. According to the latest count, 128,000 signatures had been collected and 104,500 had been certified by municipalities, Johanna Gapany told Le Matin, reported RTS. The signatures will be presented to the authorities on 9 September 2022.
The vote is likely to take place in 2024, according to the organisation’s website.
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RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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