Switzerland: Domestic Corporate Taxation

Net Worth Tax

This tax is levied by both the federal authorities and cantons. The tax is based on the value of a corporate entity's assets, normally equal to shareholders' equity (paid-in capital, legal reserves, and other retained earnings, public or otherwise). The rates are:

A rate of 0.8% of the company's net worth is levied by the federal authorities annually;
A rate of between 0.3% to 1% of the company's net worth is levied by the cantons annually, depending on the canton.

Foreign branches based in Switzerland are only assessed on the value of their Swiss assets for the purposes of this tax. Resident companies are not assessed on the value of any foreign-based real estate assets.

See Offshore Legal and Taxation Regimes for details of the taxation of Holding, Domiciliary, Auxiliary, Mixed and Service Companies.