zsis) - Center for Swiss and International Tax Law

Reform of the withholding tax - can the Gordian knot be untangled?

With its dispatch of April 2021 on the reform of the withholding tax, the Federal Council is making a new attempt to strengthen the domestic debt capital market. The bill is economically necessary and suitable for finding a pragmatic solution that is acceptable to the majority. Parliamentary consultations have already begun.

Withholding tax and debt capital, including the planned revision of the Withholding Tax Act

In terms of withholding tax, we focus on withholding tax on the income from equity securities. In particular, pecuniary benefits occupy us and often lead to emotionally profound experiences and contacts with withholding tax. Similarly, we constantly deal with the question of the refund of withholding tax owed, including the issue of "How can I repatriate profit reserves subject to withholding tax abroad?

Withholding tax reform - "more than meets the eye

The withholding tax reform bill introduced with the Federal Council Dispatch published on 14 April 2021 aims to largely abolish withholding tax on interest income and, as an accompanying measure, to abolish the turnover tax on Swiss bonds. In this context, implementation issues at the banks and financial institutions, the effects of the reform on structured products and group financing, the treatment of substitute payments in securities lending/borrowing transactions and indirect interest investments are examined in greater detail.

Editorial for the special issue "Implementation of the STAF

At zsis we are pleased to be able to provide an overview of the implementation of the corporate tax reform in the individual cantons. The authors not only provide information on the reduction of the profit tax rate, but also highlight the change from tax privileges to ordinary corporate taxation. They also report on the other cantonal particularities.