zsis) - Center for Swiss and International Tax Law

VAT treatment of fiscal and other financial incentives to promote business locations

As a result of the global minimum tax, Switzerland must rethink its existing fiscal incentives to strengthen the location of business standards. The tax advantage of existing incentives (e.g. special R&D deduction, patent box) loses its effectiveness for affected companies. The first cantons are therefore proposing new instruments such as the Qualified Refundable Tax Credit or state subsidies. This article examines the question of whether such new incentives to promote business locations fall under the VAT term "subsidies and other contributions under public law" and how they should therefore be treated, in particular to what extent a reduction of the input tax deduction should be applied or can be waived.

Partial revision of the MWSTG and current developments

On June 16, 2023, the Federal Assembly adopted the partially revised VAT Act. In addition to the core element of taxing supplies via electronic platforms, the partial revision also includes numerous changes in the areas of internationalization, tax reductions, combating fraud and other simplifications. Entry into force is planned for January 1, 2025. Whether this date can be met also depends to a large extent on the partial revision of the VAT Ordinance, the draft of which is currently undergoing consultation from October 25, 2023 to February 8, 2024.

FTA VAT practice related to blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT).

The Swiss Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has already published its VAT practice in connection with blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) for the first time in 2019. However, these practice determinations are incomplete in certain areas and have gaps. A revision is urgently needed.

Self-employed activity and allocation of services under VAT law - The crux of external appearance

In August 2021, the Federal Administrative Court ruled in two cases on the question of whether the fact of independence as an explicit requirement for a subjective tax liability was fulfilled. Directly linked to the question of independence is the assessment of the external appearance, i.e. an outwardly perceptible, independent appearance as a service provider. At the same time, the VAT Act links the external appearance to the assessment of which taxable entity the objective facts of the service provision, in short, to whom the turnover achieved is to be allocated. The independence required for tax liability and the allocation of services are thus interlinked on the basis of the external appearance as a common criterion.