by © Christian Heinz | Dreamstime.com A majority of Switzerland’s parliament voted in favour of introducing a tax on flights departing from Switzerland. 132 voted in favour of the tax, with 65 against. The tax would range from CHF 30 to CHF 120 depending on the distance and class of travel, according to 20 Minutes. Private ...
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© Christian Heinz | Dreamstime.com
A majority of Switzerland’s parliament voted in favour of introducing a tax on flights departing from Switzerland.
132 voted in favour of the tax, with 65 against. The tax would range from CHF 30 to CHF 120 depending on the distance and class of travel, according to 20 Minutes.
Private flights would be taxed too. A tax of between CHF 500 and CHF 5,000 would be charged depending on the type and size of aircraft.
Parliament also voted in favour (133 vs 59) of increasing the the tax on heating oil. The tax on heating oil, currently capped at CHF 120 per tonne of CO2, is set to rise to CHF 210.
The aims to reduce demand for air travel, something likely to add to the pressure on airlines already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.
Most of the tax collected will be returned to Switzerland’s residents via a rebate attached to health insurance. A portion of it will be used to help fund a climate fund and some of it will also make its way back to businesses via a payroll tax rebate.
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