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Tax policy

Political article

Debt brake: cost-cutting with a passion

During the pandemic, the debt brake was declared a national shrine. In financial policy terms, it was deemed a condition sine qua non for Switzerland's successful handling of the crisis. But is that really so? A ride through austerity hell.

Tax optimisation at the expense of the poorest

The agribusiness group Socfin shifts profits from commodity production to the low-tax canton of Fribourg. This tax avoidance goes hand in hand with profit maximisation at the expense of the population in the affected regions in Africa and Asia.

Article as analysis

New tricks with the tonnage tax

What the Federal Council and corporate lobbies are portraying as innocuous support for the shipping industry could prove the biggest tax loophole for Swiss commodities groups and circumvent the new OECD minimum tax.

Political article

Eurocentric elation

In October, the OECD and G20 approved the new international minimum tax for multinational corporations. Hailed in Europe and North America as a historic success, the decision is being sharply criticised in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Article as analysis

Switzerland protects its pharmaceutical industry

While countries in the global South are billions of vaccines short in the battle against the pandemic, pharmaceutical groups shift their exorbitant profits to low-tax jurisdictions.

Article as analysis

Global tax competition is no sustainable strategy

Fighting illicit financial flows and mobilising resources, especially in developing countries, are crucial to the global funding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Federal Council’s Sustainable Development Strategy draft ignores this.

Article as analysis

Small steps towards greater tax transparency

It has been officially confirmed since July that Switzerland is one of the big winners in the global game of profit shifting by multinational corporations. Legal steps towards greater tax transparency are still not in the offing, however.

Nationaler Kontaktpunkt OECD

Article as analysis

Out of the frying pan into the fire?

Since early 2019, more than 100 countries have been engaged in negotiations under the OECD Inclusive Framework on further reform of the worldwide taxing system for enterprises. The focus is on the digitalisation of corporate business models.

Article as analysis

The dazzle of the private sector

The privatization of development funding could completely overshadow vital tax and financial policy issues. For Switzerland, not changing course would mean the end of the implementation of Agenda 2030 in terms of development policy.