Federer turns his back on home canton
Swiss world tennis number one Roger Federer has moved from his birthplace of Basel to the "tax paradise" of Wollerau in canton Schwyz, central Switzerland.
The winner of 12 grand slam titles had lived in Oberwil, canton Basel Country, for around three years but officially left at the end of March, according to the Oberwil authorities.
Federer’s new permanent residence, which he shares with his partner Mirka Vavrinec, looks out over Lake Zurich and has more room for his trophies, which he had been forced to keep at his parents’ house, according to Federer’s lawyer.
Filippo Beck added that although Wollerau is known as a tax paradise – former UBS chairman Marcel Ospel and Formula One driver Kimi Räikkönen also call the canton home – had Federer wanted to play the tax avoidance game, he could have moved his base to Dubai, where he already has a home. Dubai charges neither income nor wealth tax.
Cantonal tax secrecy means it is unknown what exactly Federer’s move means for the coffers of Oberwil, or indeed Wollerau, but his career prize money totals more than $40,000,000 (SFr40,700,000).
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