I won 50.45CHF on the lottery the other day.


I had to pay 35% tax on my winnings!!!!!




Just to let you all know, i looked into this matter and found out the following:


Any winnings over 50CHF are liable for 35% tax. Unfortunately the tax is due on the full amount. Therefore i have won 50.45CHF and i have paid tax on the whole amount and NOT just on the 45 ruppen!!! This gets sorted directly at the Kiosk, which meant i had to fill out a form and only got the 65% given to me.


Please note that when you fill out your tax return you must include the receipt of these winnnings as it is possible that you can get some of this 35% back. The amount varys from canton to canton.




If you only liable for tax on winnings greater than 50CHF, it makes more sense that the first 50CHF should be tax exempt and that you should only have to pay the 35% on anything above the 50CHF. Shame its not. IMO there should not be any tax at all!!!! Damn buggers.


Hope this info is of some use to you guys......


*awaits a plethora of thanks*

Well, to Switzerland's discharge, you're only charged once. If you win the jackpot in, say, France, you'll be taxed once as income, and then every year you'll have to bend over as it will be taxed as wealth.

Take the good with the bad...

Wealth tax here as well. At least in SG (and I think most German speaking Cantons)

Well yes, but once you experience French wealth tax you'll be thinking the Swiss tax collector is one of your best friends...

In the UK pools/lottery wins are tax free. This is nothing short of a slap in the face of everyone who works for living. It says you are fool for getting up early each day and waiting for the bus in the rain only to work and pay tax on it, when you could gamble and pay no tax on your winnings.

The Swiss system of taxing wins is far fairer and steps away from the 'get it all now for free' mentality...

I have to say that if I pay tax on the winnings are the actual tickets tax deductable?

It seams unfair that I have to pay tax on the winnings but can’t claim tax back on the cost,

... but in the UK you've already paid tax on your stake - a bit of each 1GBP bet is tax. In Switzerland there is no tax element in the stake, therefore the winnings are taxed. i.e. a few lucky winners pay more tax instead of many paying smaller amounts.

Even at the bookies (in the UK) and on less publicly acceptable gambling you have a choice of paying tax on the stake or the winnings - making the gamble twice as interesting - and most pay on the stake.

Of course, you have already paid income tax on the stake, anyway, so the gambling tax is a second charge whichever way you look at it.

Even in the UK where the lottery win is tax free, the moment it's in the bank it starts attracting interest which is, of course, taxed.

But, back to the op, I won 60 CHF using the Swisslotto online thingy, and all 60 CHF was credited to my account which I should declare on my tax return - so why the with-holding tax at the Kiosk? Seems a bit strange to me.

I played the Euro millions not the Swisslotto, maybe you will have to pay the tax after your tax return has been processed???

On readig the subject I was about to PM you and beg for half a mill. That was until I read the 50.45CHF part

Just for curiosity, what would you do with those 500K? what would you guys do if you suddenly win 10 millions?

Disclosure: neither I won the lottery nor I have millions, the question is just for fun as I guess many of us have dreamt about this at least once!

I would hold a great big party for all members of EF. I would even make sure there was a vegetarian option on the menu

vegan cheese too ?

Well 500k of free money is a lot but not enough to stop working. I would put the 500k towards a house. 10mill on the other hand is sweetness.

1 Mill towards my dream house/flat.
1Mill to some animal charity
2Mill to close family
500k to friends
1Mill to non religious charity
Plenty of Hard drives for this forum
Rest for living a simple life

Ok anyone know how to play lottery in Switzerland? Do they have a lucky dip thing like in England where the machine picks random numbers for you? I have no idea what I need to do with the slip that you find in kiosks. What are the main lotteries that one can play here? I can start dreaming



Can I beg you for money anyway?

It would depend upon RR classifying me as one of his "close friends" - or even just "friends" - at a pinch

RR's classification would be based on the number of red/green cards/groans/thanks that have been handed out to him. Unfortunately people like Jekyll and Polorise will miss out on the $$$

500k = a motor yacht in Luzern

10mill = make a movie then buy a motor yacht in the med + more than enough booze, drugs and women to kill me before i am 30.

What about me

How about giving you your 100th thanks?

Bloody beggars the lot of you I haven't even won and you lot are lining up

Yes that will get you 100CHF extra. Green cards on the other hand are worth their weight in gold. So print those tiny green cards (1:1 size) and weigh them I know I am tight!


Well I will take care you you as you have thanked and given me positive rep. Nice house in Lugano with a motor boat ok for you?

Me too. I won 54CHF once (and I one EUR50 once too, but that's another story! Please universe add some zeros!), both in the EuroMillions and I was handed all the money in my hand. I remember they mentioned something about if I wanted a tax slip or receipt, I said, no. And that was it.

Is this another cantonal difference??