About taxes in Switzerland

Switzerland taxes income at three levels: federal ("direct federal tax"), cantonal, and municipal. Federal tax is mildly progressive (top rate 11.5%); cantonal and communal rates vary enormously — Zug and Schwyz are famously low, while Geneva, Bern and Vaud are among the highest. Total combined effective rates can range from ~12% in Zug to ~32%+ in Geneva for the same income. Employees pay AHV/IV/EO (old-age, disability, income-loss) at 5.3% of salary, ALV (unemployment) at 1.1% up to CHF 148,200/year, and BVG (occupational pension, "second pillar") at variable rates depending on age and employer plan — typically 7%–18% of insured salary, split with the employer. Crucially, mandatory health insurance ("KVG / LaMal") is NOT deducted from your salary: every resident must purchase it privately, costing roughly CHF 300–CHF 450/month for an adult depending on canton, age and deductible. Foreign workers without a C permit are typically taxed at source ("Quellensteuer") at canton-specific scales. We model 5 representative cantons; for precise figures consult your canton's tax administration. All amounts in our calculator are entered in CHF and converted to EUR at ~0.94 for comparison.