Property maintenance costs in Switzerland

In Switzerland, property maintenance costs about €60–70/sq m per year. For example, it costs about €5,100–5,950 per year to maintain an 85 sq m apartments.

Taxes

Annual real estate tax is 0.05–0.30% of the cadastral value depending on the canton.

TV and radio tax (including in the car) costs about €410 per year. Payments can be made once a year or every quarter to the Billag company. Those who do not pay can be fined up to €4,100. The largest TV and Internet providers are Cablecom, Orange, Sunrise and Swisscom.

Income tax is charged at federal, canton and communal levels. The maximum federal rate is 11.5% (for incomes exceeding €667,000 per annum) and the maximum cantonal rate is approximately 30%. The total percentage of revenue taxed can reach 40%. Residents of Wollerau (canton of Schwyz) pay the lowest income tax, less than 19% in total. Residents of Wollerau have the highest income per capita of the country.

Income tax is paid on all property, even if it is not rented out, according to potential rental income as assessed by Swiss authorities.

Wealth tax is maximum 1.5%.

Capital gains tax is paid upon sale of property depending on the canton and duration of ownership. It varies from 25% to 50%.

Inheritance and gift tax is paid to the canton, except for the canton of Schwyz which doesn’t apply this tax.

Utility bills

For a flat of 85 m², the cost of utilities averages around €150 per month. Schaffhausen is among the cheapest cities. There, owners pay €80 per month for electricity, water and gas. Charges in the mountain resort town of Saint Gallen are substantially higher, about €240/month. In Geneva, owners pay an average of €160 and €100 in Zurich.

In many communes waste removal is done using special bags and charges depend on the bag’s volume and rate established by the commune. For example, in Zurich a property owner must buy special Züri-Sack bags. Their price includes the waste removal charge.