New decade, new approach - ITR's Switzerland Special Focus launched

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

New decade, new approach - ITR's Switzerland Special Focus launched

e012cf94-484f-4a0f-95b1-5984c937cfa6foreword-new-decade-new-approach.jpg

As Switzerland rises through an era of tax reform, ITR has partnered with leading tax advisors to give you the key takeaways for the upcoming year and decade ahead.

In May 2019, the people of Switzerland voted to adopt the Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing (TRAF), marking the most significant development in decades for the Swiss tax world.

The widespread impact of the reform will affect almost all businesses involved in Switzerland, while the swift implementation date of January 1 2020 has meant that the demand for tax experts has peaked.

The TRAF may have dominated the front pages, but in reality, it marks just one of the many tax-related changes that businesses face as they enter the 2020s. So much so that the EU's decision to remove the landlocked nation from its tax haven 'grey list' only makes a passing mention.

Thus, it should be of no surprise that ITR has partnered with leading tax advisors to provide insights into how businesses are adapting and evolving with the developments.

The need to ensure legal certainty forms the crux of burckhardt Ltd's article, which looks at the new provisions suggested by the upcoming Federal Act on the Implementation of International Tax Agreements (ITAIA).

The article by Prager Dreifuss discusses how the TRAF has paved the way for abolishing privileged tax regimes on a cantonal level and assesses the transitional measures in place to mitigate the expected tax burden.

The TRAF has also inspired a renewed culture of innovation through the offer of tax incentives on patents and R&D programmes. Tax Partner AG – Taxand's article examines how the benefits will keep investors interested in flocking to Switzerland for its well-renowned tax and business appeal.

The Swiss Federal Council has issued guidelines for reforming the existing withholding tax and stamp duty regimes. The article from Andersen Tax Switzerland explores the necessity of the developments and envisages how these strengthen the Swiss capital market.

Alongside reform, multinationals are actively embracing digital transformation. Deloitte's article looks at how tax departments are turning to next-gen systems such as S/4 HANA to prepare for future challenges and opportunities.

We hope the eighth edition of this Switzerland guide provides useful insight as taxpayers enter the roaring twenties.

Prin Shasiharan

Commercial editor

ITR

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

The threat of 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods coincides with new Brazilian legal powers to adopt retaliatory economic measures, local experts tell ITR
The country’s chancellor appears to have backtracked from previous pillar two scepticism; in other news, Donald Trump threatened Russia with 100% tariffs
In its latest G20 update, the OECD also revealed tense discussions with the US where the ‘significant threat’ of Section 899 was highlighted
The tax agency has increased compliance yield from wealthy individuals but cannot identify how much tax is paid by UK billionaires, the committee also claimed
Saffery cautioned that documentation requirements in new government proposals must be limited if medium-sized companies are not exempted from TP
The global minimum tax deal is not viable without US participation, Friedrich Merz has argued
Section 899 of the ‘one big beautiful’ bill would have spelled disaster for many international investors into the US, but following its shelving, attention turns to the fate of the OECD’s pillars
DLA Piper’s co-head of tax for the US and Latin America tells ITR about her fervent belief in equal access to the law, loving yoga, and paternal inspirations
Tax expert Craig Hillier agrees with the comparison of pillar two to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut
The amount is reported to be up 57% from the £5.6bn that the UK tax agency believes was underpaid in the previous year
Gift this article