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How are married couples taxed in your country of residence? What are the pros and cons of this system?

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As a correspondent at the Federal Palace for SWI swissinfo.ch, I report on federal politics for the Swiss Abroad. After studying at the Academy of Journalism and Media at the University of Neuchâtel, my career path initially took me to various regional media, working in the editorial offices of Journal du Jura, Canal 3 and Radio Jura bernois. Since 2015, I have been working in the multilingual editorial department of SWI swissinfo.ch, where I continue to practise my profession with passion.

On March 8, the Swiss will vote on the introduction of individual taxation for married couples. We’d like to know what the system is like where you live – and what you think about it.

In Switzerland, married couples are taxed jointly on the basis of a single tax return. This system penalises spouses who have two similar incomes and work at a comparable rate, according to those in favour of change.

The reform provides for each spouse to complete his or her own tax return. Conservatives believe it will create new inequalities, particularly for traditional families.

>> Our explainer of the reform:

More

We’d like to hear from you: how are couples taxed in your country of residence? Is the system the same as in Switzerland? What is your opinion on the matter?

Join the conversation!

Contributions must adhere to our guidelines. If you have questions or wish to suggest other ideas for debates, please, get in touch!
Maria Rivas
Maria Rivas
The following contribution has been automatically translated from ES.

I will quote the Swiss Constitution: ____3. Men and women have equal rights. The law shall guarantee their equality, both in law and in practice, especially in the family, in education and in the workplace. Men and women have the right to equal remuneration for work of equal value. If this new law is applied, I see it as inequality because women who decide to stay at home to help our partners and raise good citizens will find that this law will generate conflict in society. It is not fair. __1. The contribution that women make in the home produces economic value and generates wealth. They work 24-hour days, cooking, washing, helping with chores and looking after the children's health. If this were monetised, it would be called a contribution in kind, otherwise they would have to pay for a cook, a nanny and transport, and the salary would not be enough to cover anything. After paying taxes at the rate applicable to a single person, it would be unfair. In the future, Switzerland could be left without a young population to help and contribute to pensions.

Voy a citar la Constitución de Suiza ____3. Hombres y mujeres tienen los mismos derechos. La ley garantizará su igualdad, tanto en la ley como en la práctica, especialmente en la familia, en la educación y en el lugar de trabajo. Hombres y mujeres tienen derecho a igual remuneración por trabajo de igual valor.__De aplicarse esa nueva Ley lo veo como una desigualdad porque las mujeres que decidimos quedarnos en casa para ayudar a nuestra pareja y formar buenos ciudadanos esta ley va a generar conflicto en la Sociedad no es justa. __1. El aporte que hace la mujer en el hogar produce valor económico y genera riqueza, cumple jornadas de 24 horas cocina, lava, ayuda con tareas y cuida la salud del nin̈o, sibse monetiza esto se llamaria aporte en especie, sino tendrían que pahar, una cocinera, una niñera y el transporte y el sueldo no alcanzaria para nada y después de pagar los impuestos con el porcentaje que corresponde a una persona soltera sería injusto. Y Suiza en futuro podría quedarse sin población joven que ayude y aporte a las Pensiones.

Soph
Soph

I think the government and the federal system should stop ignoring that one of its main tasks is to incentivise the population into certain behaviour. We all know how the birth rate is going down in Switzerland and marriage is an important factor that boosts the amount of babies, and one of the main reasons many even marry in the first place; because they want to start a family. Think about the long term future of Switzerland and all the adverse effects of a declining Swiss population. I am for a system that removes the marriage penalty for dual earners (to incentivise initial marriage in the current reality where gender equality allows for similar work and salary) but also tax benefits depending on the amount of children that you have together at home (similar to Germany) and if one parent stays at home (to incentivise child rearing).

Delphine
Delphine
@Soph

I find it impossible to understand how marriage can produce babies, last time I checked babies were either produced by medical procedures or “traditional” coitus.

Sam_Washington
Sam_Washington
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

I don't know. Never married and without children, I have been looking for a wife for a long time to give me some.____Yet I had never been ugly.____Sam Washington__jsd.iurisdition@hotmail.com__Paris, France

Je ne sais pas. Jamais marié et sans enfants je cherche une épouse depuis longtemps pour me les donner.____Pourtant, je n'avais jamais été moche.____Sam Washington__jsd.iurisdition@hotmail.com__Paris, France

Sam_Washington
Sam_Washington
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

I don't know. Never married and without children, I have been looking for a wife for a long time to give me some.____Yet I wasn't ugly.____Sam Washington __jsd.iurisdition@hotmail.com__Paris, France

Je ne sais pas. Jamais marié et sans enfants je cherche une épouse depuis longtemps pour me les donner.____Pourtant, je n'avais été moche.____Sam Washington __jsd.iurisdition@hotmail.com__Paris, France

Martha13
Martha13

I am from Mexico and we are taxed based on our individual personal income. It doesnt matter if you income comes from Salary, dividends, rents etc. I find it fair because at the end of the day if you work you are taxed according to your job and tax range, also deductions is according to your preferences and in this matter each individual can have different visión within a relationship. Maybe your partner doesn't want to save on 3rd pillar, dont want to buy a house or invest in education. So, you are end up playing more because your partner choices.

Vgn97
Vgn97

As a foreigner living in Switzerland, I was shocked to find out that here you get penalised for getting married. In countries like the UK, it's the complete opposite. Furthermore, as a working woman, I find it incredibly archaic for the concern to be the penalisation of the "traditional family". I will be significantly penalised tax-wise when my fiance and I get married in a few months, all because this country wants to encourage women to be stay at home mothers rather than have a job. I plan on having children, and fill need to pay extortionate amounts for a creche for them, all because I didn't get a master's degree to then be a full time housewife.

Delphine
Delphine
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

A strictly individual tax system would not only be more consistent, but also more honest. It would treat citizens as responsible individuals, rather than as elements of a normative family structure. More fundamentally, the system of state-sanctioned marriage reveals a broader problem. Marriage, as a legal institution, has no reason to exist. It is a mechanism through which the state permanently imposes its preferences and religious biases on human relationships by regulating intimacy.

Une imposition strictement individuelle serait non seulement plus cohérente, mais aussi plus honnête. Elle traiterait les citoyens comme des individus responsables, et non comme des éléments d’un schéma familial normatif.__Plus fondamentalement, le système du mariage par l'état révèle un problème plus large. Le mariage, en tant qu’institution juridique, n’a aucune raison d’exister. Il s’agit d’un dispositif par lequel l’état octroie durablement aux relations interhumaines, en réglementant l’intimité, ses préférences et biais religieux.

Katy Romy
Katy Romy SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Delphine

Hello and thank you for your comment! If I understand correctly, you are in favour of the outright abolition of marriage.

Bonjour et merci de votre commentaire! Si j'ai bien compris, vous êtes donc pour l'abolition pure et simple du mariage

Delphine
Delphine
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Katy Romy

Yes, it seems impossible to me to create a legal system that attempts to regulate the cohabitation of individuals in private.

Oui, il me semble impossible de créer un système légal qui tente de régler la cohabitation d'individus dans le privé.

Anne7
Anne7

I am a US expat living in Switzerland. In the US married couples are often taxed at a lower rate than single people but not always depending on individual circumstances such as income, children, and various deductions. Married couples can choose whether or not to file jointly or separately. ____Personally I find the Swiss tax system to be incredibly unfair to married couples. It is not reasonable to design a tax system that assumes most women do not work in the year 2026. My partner and I were shocked when we calculated that our tax bill would be 40% higher if we married! Needless to say we will not legally marry unless until Switzerland reforms its archaic tax system. ____I think a fair tax system should disregard marital status in order to not advantage any particular group. The only group that should receive a deduction are people with children living in their household. Raising children is quite expensive so there should be tax credits given to both parents.

Simon444
Simon444
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.
@Anne7

I agree completely. However, I would also say that children who do not live in the household also count, as they also incur maintenance costs, etc.

Sehe ich ganz genauso. Würde ggf. aber auch sagen das Kinder die nicht im Haushalt leben auch zählen, da diese ja auch Unterhalt usw. kosten.

Katy Romy
Katy Romy SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Anne7

Thank you for your interesting contribution on the American system.

Merci pour votre contribution intéressante sur le système américain.

Don Ron
Don Ron
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

Here in Spain, you are free to choose what is best (in terms of tax savings) for you as an individual. The same applies in Ireland. Switzerland clearly has a problem with such simple rules. The same applies to the marriage penalty in the AHV. This is completely unacceptable for a democratic and wealthy country.

Hier in Spanien kann man frei wählen was besser (Steuern sparen) ist für die jeweilige Person. Ebenso ist es dasselbe in Irland. Die Schweiz hat offensichtlich mit solchen einfachen Regeln ein Problem. Ebenfalls mit der Heiratsstrafe bei der AHV. Absolut unwürdig für ein Demokratisches und Reiches Land.

Katy Romy
Katy Romy SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Don Ron

Thank you for clarifying that. Do you think Switzerland should take inspiration from the Spanish system?

Merci pour cet éclairage. Pensez-vous que la Suisse devrait s'inspirer du système espagnol

Manuel lema
Manuel lema
The following contribution has been automatically translated from ES.

In Spain, we do them separately or together, whichever suits us best.

En España, las hacemos por separado o juntas, según lo que nos convenga más.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR