Calculator · 26 cantons × 8 countries
How much you really save by moving to Switzerland.
Compare effective income tax on the same gross income between your origin country and any Swiss canton. The headline number rarely tells the full story — Norway, Germany, France, and the UK each have exit taxes or tail rules that can claw years of “savings” back.
Compare two places
Figures assume a single-earner married couple with two children. Enter income in your home country's currency; it is converted to CHF at the rate shown.
£180,000 ≈ CHF 190'386 · rates as of May 2026
Annual difference
−CHF 47'948
Moving from 🇬🇧 United Kingdom to Zug at £180,000 (≈ CHF 190'386) household income reduces your annual income tax by CHF 47'948 — roughly 25.2% of gross.
Side-by-side
United Kingdom
Current
- Effective rate
- 36.4%
- Annual tax
- CHF 69'337
- Income after income tax
- CHF 121'049
Zug
Zug
- Effective rate
- 11.2%
- Annual tax
- CHF 21'389
- Income after income tax
- CHF 168'997
⚠ Exit-tax warning for United Kingdom
Post-non-dom April 2025: 10-year IHT trail, QROPS pension rules tightened
Cheapest cantons at this income
Top 8 lowest-tax cantons at CHF 190'386 household income (≈ £180,000). Difference vs. your selected canton (Zug) shown on the right.
| Canton | Effective | Annual tax | vs. ZG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zug (Zug) | 11.2% | CHF 21'389 | — |
| Schwyz (Schwyz) | 11.9% | CHF 22'608 | +CHF 1'219 |
| Nidwalden (Stans) | 12.4% | CHF 23'637 | +CHF 2'248 |
| Obwalden (Sarnen) | 13.1% | CHF 24'970 | +CHF 3'581 |
| Appenzell I.Rh. (Appenzell) | 13.5% | CHF 25'655 | +CHF 4'265 |
| Uri (Altdorf) | 13.8% | CHF 26'303 | +CHF 4'913 |
| Thurgau (Frauenfeld) | 16.4% | CHF 31'220 | +CHF 9'831 |
| Glarus (Glarus) | 16.4% | CHF 31'220 | +CHF 9'831 |
Important caveats
Read this before you book the moving truck.
These are effective rates, not marginal rates
The numbers shown are total tax ÷ gross income — averaged over your whole income, not the rate on your next franc. Marginal rates (what you pay on a raise) are 5–10 points higher in most cantons.
Wealth tax is not included
Every Swiss canton levies a wealth tax on net worth above its exemption threshold (CHF 80k–250k for single, more for married). For wealth above CHF 1M, this typically adds 0.3–1.0% per year to your total tax bill — substantial for people with significant invested assets. Norway taxes wealth as well; the UK, Germany, and US do not. We'll add wealth tax to v2 of this calculator.
US citizens face worldwide taxation
If you're a US citizen or green card holder, the IRS taxes you on worldwide income regardless of where you live. The US-Swiss treaty and foreign earned income exclusion reduce double taxation, but you keep filing US returns, FBARs, and FATCA reports forever — until you formally renounce (which itself triggers an expatriation tax).
Exit taxes can erase years of savings
Norway charges 37.84% on unrealized capital gains over NOK 3M when you leave. Germany's Wegzugsbesteuerung applies a deemed-disposal on shareholdings ≥1%, and Switzerland — unlike EU/EEA destinations — does not get the 7-year interest-free deferral. France triggers exit tax above €800k unrealized gains. The UK's 6 April 2025 non-dom reform introduced a 10-year IHT “tail” for former long-term residents. None of these show up in “Swiss taxes are lower” brochures, but they often dominate the move's first decade of economics.
The March 2026 individual taxation referendum
On 8 March 2026, Swiss voters approved individual taxation — every adult will eventually be taxed individually regardless of marital status. Implementation will take years, and the rates shown here are for the current joint-assessment regime that still applies for the 2026 tax year. Single-earner couples with CHF 180k+ face the largest adjustment (federal tax can rise ~50% under individual assessment without a single-income deduction). We'll update once the federal implementation date is fixed.
Sources
- PwC — Switzerland Individual Income Tax (2026) (federal brackets, Zurich + Geneva cantonal scales).
- Arvy — Swiss tax progression calculator (2026) (effective rates at canton capitals).
- Taxolution — Individual taxation referendum 2026.
- Country-specific exit tax sources are linked next to each country in the calculator results above.