Tag Archives: Editor’s Choice

On 7 March 2021, a vote to ban face covering at a federal level was accepted by 51.2% of Swiss voters. Since then the government has been working on implementing the decision. This week it presented the details. © Photographerlondon | Dreamstime.comAfter the latest consultation on the subject the Federal Council decided on Wednesday on a maximum fine of CHF 1,000 instead of the original recommendation of CHF 10,000, which was considered excessive by some politicians. The new proposed...

Ahead of deciding on where best to insure in 2023 numerous websites claim to offer reliable health insurance comparison tools. However, many cannot be trusted, according to a report by RTS. © Tatiana Golmer | Dreamstime.comNine out the 16 websites reviewed by a consumer advocacy association failed the test. The nine failing sites offered no product comparison. Instead they merely collected user data that could be used by agents hoping to up-sell lucrative complementary insurance...

Statistics published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), show that 70.1% of homes in Switzerland are heated by burning either mazout (heating oil), gas or wood. Photo by tony samia on Pexels.comAcross Switzerland 40.7% of homes are heated with mazout or heating oil. A further 17.6% are heated by burning gas and 11.8% by burning wood. These high greenhouse gas producing sources of heat account for 70.1% of the total. Add to this additional undisclosed emissions included in...

In September 2022, Switzerland’s consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.2% compared with the previous month, according to data from Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Photo by Erik Mclean on Pexels.comThe 0.2% month-on-month fall was due to falling prices for fuels, heating oil, hotels and related accommodation. Falls in the prices of these items were offset by higher clothing and footwear prices. Monthly deflation left the year-on-year inflation rate at 3.3% compared to a...

In September 2022, Switzerland’s consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.2% compared with the previous month, according to data from Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Photo by Erik Mclean on Pexels.com The 0.2% month-on-month fall was due to falling prices for fuels, heating oil, hotels and related accommodation. Falls in the prices of these items were offset by higher clothing and footwear prices. Monthly deflation left the...

Every year, home owners in Switzerland must add imputed rent to their taxable income, creating an unusual additional tax on home owners introduced during the first world war to fund the war effort. Switzerland’s government has agreed to remove the tax. However, this week, parliament sent the latest plan back to the drawing board, reported 20 Minutes. Photo by Chích Chòe Design on Pexels.comSome members of the government are concerned that the current proposal might be overturned by a...

Switzerland is to destroy more than 10 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, reported RTS. © Filmfoto | Dreamstime.comThe 10.3 million doses of vaccine have reached their expiry date, which cannot be extended, said the government. 2.5 million doses are stored in Switzerland with further 7.8 million stored in Belgium, said the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). At an estimated price of CHF 28 per dose the cost of the vaccines comes to around CHF 280 million. However, the...

On 27 September 2022, the Swiss government published health insurance premiums for 2023. On average premiums will rise by 6.6% with large variations depending on age and where you live. © Francisco Javier Zea Lara | Dreamstime.comThe 6.6% average increase in 2023 is the fifth largest rise since Switzerland’s current system of health insurance began in 1996. The last time it rose more was in 2010 when it leapt 8.7%. The average monthly premium will rise to CHF 334.70 per month (CHF...

On 20 September 2022, government forecasters announced downgraded expectations for GDP growth in Switzerland. © Evgeniy Lapshin | Dreamstime.comA group of experts focused on predicting business cycles downgraded expected GDP growth to 2.0% in 2022 and to 1.1% in 2023. After a positive first half of the year the Swiss economy now faces a deteriorating outlook, said the group. A tense energy situation and sharp price increases are weighing on economic prospects across Europe. As...

Now that inflation has returned, so has bracket creep, a situation where inflation pushes taxable income into higher tax brackets and reduces the tax busting value of deductions. To compensate, Switzerland’s federal government announced higher deductions and higher tax brackets this week. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comFrom the 2023 tax year couples with two wage earners will be able to deduct a maximum of CHF 13,600 (previously CHF 13,400) each from their taxable income. For married...