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| I had a discussion with both a US accountant and a Swiss acountant and both told me that for US Federal tax return, I would have nearly nothing that needs to be paid, if at all. (note: no calculation has been formally done yet by the accountants, they just gave the information, probably based on their previous experience) Is this more or less true from your own experience, assuming living in the city of Zurich?
The Swiss tax rates do seem lower than the US federal tax rates, so I am not sure how one can walk out with nearly no US tax liabilities. I mean, if you take the $85,700 exclusion, you will have tax liabilities on the amount over that. Does it have to do with the rather high foreign housing allowance on the federal tax return? Is that the main driver that's bringing down the US taxes?
The reason I am asking the question is because the accountant told me snice I would have nearly no or no US tax liabilities, I should try to minimize my Swiss tax liabilities such as making contribution to a pillar 3 account. However, any calculation I tried doing (which are probably over simplified and conservative) produces US tax liabilities, so I am not sure what is true. I don't want to put money in pillar 3 account or do whatever else if whatever taxes I saved on the Swiss side would just go to the US government. 
Can someone tell me, from their personal experience, assuming you live in the city of Zurich, need to file Swiss tax and US federal tax return, do you generally have close to nothing US federal tax liabilities?
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IMHO, whether US taxes should be paid or not really depends on the foreign effective tax rate, i.e. whether the US rate is higher, or if the Swiss rate is higher.
I tend to think of it this way - always be prepared to pay the higher effective rate in the end, be it US or Swiss. At least the income is not going to be double taxed!