Services provided for a fee by a taxable company in Switzerland are generally subject to Swiss VAT (domestic tax).
Although taxation occurs at the company level, it is ultimately a consumption tax that is generally passed on to the respective end consumer.
In addition to services provided domestically, VAT also taxes the procurement of services from companies based abroad by recipients in Switzerland (acquisition tax) and the import of goods into Switzerland (import tax).
Since January 1, 2018, the VAT rate in Switzerland has generally been 7.7%. A reduced rate of 2.5% applies to certain services, including the supply of food, medicines and newspapers, and a special rate of 3.7% applies to accommodation services.
As part of the referendum on September 25, 2022, the Swiss electorate approved additional financing for AHV (old-age and survivors’ insurance) by increasing VAT. The VAT rates will be increased accordingly to 8.1% (standard rate), 2.6% (reduced rate) and 3.8% (special rate for accommodation services).
The new VAT rates are scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2024. The Federal Council is expected to decide on this in December 2022.
