Federal Council wants to enable electronic tax returns without signatures

According to a media release dated 21 June 2019, the Federal Council wants to waive the obligation to sign the electronically submitted tax return and, in certain tax areas, oblige companies to submit their documents electronically. The Federal Council opened the consultation process on this issue at its meeting on 21 June 2019.

• It should be possible to dispense with signatures in electronic tax returns at both cantonal and federal level.
• In the area of indirect taxes at federal level (withholding tax, stamp duties, value added tax) and in the area of international administrative assistance, the Federal Council should be able to oblige the persons concerned to submit documents electronically.

This is intended to promote digitisation and to implement Motion Schmid (17.3371), referred by Parliament, which wishes to eliminate the obligation to sign the tax return.

The relevant documents, including the explanatory report on the consultation procedure concerning the Federal Act on Electronic Procedures in Tax Matters and the Federal Act on Electronic Procedures in Tax Matters can be downloaded here.