Tag Archives: Swiss referenda

This week, the referendum roster was announced for 3 March 2023. There will two votes on Switzerland’s state pension system. One aims to tackle the impending funding crisis by extending the retirement age, and the other aims to alleviate old age poverty by increasing payments without a plan to pay for it. Photo by Monica Silvestre on Pexels.comThe first would raise the retirement age by one year to 66 by 2032 and then link it to life expectancy beyond that date. If life expectancy rises...

On 18 June 2023, Swiss voters will choose whether to accept the federal government’s plan to raise the company tax rate applied to large multinationals to a minimum of 15%. Swiss Franc © Makasanaphoto | Dreamstime.comThe minimum 15% tax, which will apply to any company with annual revenues of Euro 750 million or more, has essentially been forced on Switzerland by the OECD. Some countries increase their tax bases and the total tax they collect by attracting foreign companies with...

On 18 June 2023, Swiss voters will choose whether to accept the government’s plan to raise company tax rates to a minimum of 15%. © Filmfoto | Dreamstime.comThe minimum 15% tax, which will apply to any company with annual revenues of Euro 750 million or more, has essentially been forced on Switzerland by the OECD as part of its plan to reduce global tax competition. Nations with low tax rates are able to increase their tax bases by attracting foreign companies. But a tax base boost in...

Switzerland’s recent vote on state pension reform on 25 September 2022, divided men and women, reported RTS. Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels.comThe vote was split into two parts. The first asked whether the state pension age for women should rise from 64 to 65 to bring it into line with the pension age for men. The second part asked whether VAT should rise from 7.7% to 8.1% to fund a looming pension funding shortfall. According to an analysis by the survey firm gfs.bern, 64% of men...

Switzerland’s recent vote on state pension reform on 25 September 2022, divided men and women, reported RTS. Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels.comThe vote was split into two parts. The first asked whether the state pension age for women should rise from 64 to 65 to bring it into line with the pension age for men. The second part asked whether VAT should rise from 7.7% to 8.1% to fund a looming pension funding shortfall. According to an analysis by the survey firm...

Across much of the developed world pension finances are getting squeezed as populations age, baby boomers in particular. Switzerland’s government has a reform plan. However, some who don’t like it called a referendum to oppose it. Arguments for and against the changes are being aired before a vote on 25 September 2022. Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.comThe proposed changes, dubbed AVS 21 (AHV 21), include raising the state pension (AVS/AHV) age of women from 64 to 65, the current...

© Bekirugur Bekir Ugur | Dreamstime.com 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 films. A group of young politicians objecting to the 4% surcharge on streaming services decided to organise...

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 films. © Bekirugur Bekir Ugur | Dreamstime.comA group of young politicians objecting to the 4% surcharge on streaming services decided to organise a referendum to have...

The Federal Council has decided to remove the 1% investment stamp duty charged on capital invested in Swiss companies. A majority of parliament are also in favour of the decision. However, some politicians are against the change and have launched a referendum against it. This week the government defended its plan. © Giuseppe De Filippo | Dreamstime.comSwitzerland’s relatively low corporate tax rates are one reason some international businesses choose Switzerland as an international base....

A group called Opération Libero and the Green party plan to come together to launch a referendum to require Switzerland’s federal government to sign new deal with the EU. © VanderWolfImages | Dreamstime.comAt a meeting on 26 May 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council evaluated the results of Switzerland’s negotiations with the EU around the institutional framework agreement, an agreement aimed at replacing the country’s current patchwork of agreements with the bloc, and decided not to sign,...