I had a covnersation about this with my colleagues recently. When I registered for my permit, I had to put my religion. The choices were Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Buddhist, Other, and I think None.

I checked the box for "Buddhist" because it was the best choice for me.

Apparently, the religion you indicate dictates how much tax is withheld from your pay check. Catholics pay 10%, Protestants something else, etc.

First I find it odd that there would be such a tax... but it is Switzerland so it's not so shocking (I blame the Pope). I don't mind so much that a % of my income would go to support my temple... if I was attending a temple. Unfortunately I haven't found any Theravada temples in Switzerland whatsoever.

I want to know, how much of my check is being withheld for religious tax? how do I find this out? Then how do I find out where my money is going?

If you put "none", you pay no tax.

Tom

Pretty sure that neither Catholics nor anyone else is paying 10% of income. An extra 10% of your cantonal income tax bill, maybe.

Do a search for "Kirchensteuer" and your canton, shouldn't be too hard to find the rates.

I figured mine up once (was registered as Reformed, ZH) and it came to all of CHF8 per month.

You should have seen the face of the people at our Commune/Gemeinde when I firmly replied 'NONE'- everybody turned round, especially as we had just bought the local Vicarage. OOps. Thing is these declarations are used to show the % of people with different religions - which is stupid, as most people put what religion they were basically sort of born with, even though they never ever go to Church, apart from baptisms, marriages, funerals and the odd Christmas. In some countries, the Churches are so rich that they do not need to get money from their brethren. All religions ask their faithfuls to contribute a percentage of their income to the Church and charity- the most common amount being 10%. This is to pay for salaries of Vicars/priests and their assistants who not only provide services, but visits to the elderly, infirm, old peoples home, luncheons for the isolated or elderly (we still host those once a month in winter at our house- 50 old biddies) and so on. In Neuchatel and I think Geneva, these taxes are now optional- and the Churches are in BIG financial trouble. Which is how we were able to acquire the house which served as the Vicarage since 1587. In most C/Kantons it is still compulsory. Now the good news for you. Buddhism is not one of the 'religion' accepted for such payments, so you won't pay anything. Bad news is, those conributions are tax deductible, so you won't benefit from this.

All religious people pay for their Church in one way or another. My cousin is a Pentacostal minister in New Jersey, and his salary and those of his staff + Church repairs, etc, were directly paid by his brethren. People here expect the Church to be there to help, to serve at all baptisms, marriages, Communions, funerals, etc - but not to pay towards the cost. It just does not work obviously. We do not pay, but do not avail ourselves of any of their services.

thanks!!! that answered my question precisely.

I live in Basel and marked Catholic in the registration form. No money is taken from my check for the religious tax, BUT I receive an invoice (yes, the orange payment slip) to pay it at the end of the year, directly from the church.

And do you HAVE to pay it or is it optional? You should be able to claim it against tax.

Here in Neuch, the tax is now optional, and the Reformed Church is in huge doodoo because Phillip Morris have stopped paying their contribution, which was a substantial part of the Ref Church income. They have already sold many of their Vicarage, cut down staff and services and just do not know which way to turn to raise income. Services are now held in turn in the local Churches- we have a service here about every 5 weeks, and a marriage and funeral from time to time.

BTW a very pretty little Church and we have the old Parish room with great catering facilities, etc, which we can rent for small function next door (for about 50 people) in our lovely village - a great place for a simple wedding.

Odile, here in SZ it is not optional - if you register as a member of one of the state supported faiths, you are taxed. Ya gots ta pay ta pray.

Depending on your canton/Gemeinde and on your individual situation, church tax can indeed take a rather big bite out of one's wallet.

If one is a believer and one agrees with the mission of one's local parish as well as the mission of one's church, giving financial support to that mission is a worthy thing to do. My problem with the CH church tax is that there is no choice. You pay or get out; you have to support projects and policies with which you disagree, or you have to renounce your church membership. I find that sad, as there is little a church member can do to work for change from within.

The faith in which I was raised taught me to follow my conscience first and foremost. Financial support is a very effective 'tool' for the laity to bring about change while still remaining in the church family, still having the opportunity to support the good things that are being done. Shame that isn't available here - and one of the reason why I do not practice my faith in Switzerland.

I live in a little village that does not have an English speaking church, and we cannot speak or understand German. Our Germinde sent us a payment slip wanting over 800 CHF for the year because my husband marked protestant. I went to them and explained that we are not denying our faith but 800 CHF is rediculous and I am not paying that much! I told them I would offer a charitable amount as my tithes but that was all I was willing to do. They sent me a letter asking me to either pay the 800CHF or mark NONE on our application. Still havent decided what to do.

Mark NONE.

Your faith isn't determined by the whims of foreign bureaucrats.

He is practicing, as he protested

Meloncollie - what is the contribution requested as a percentage?

I am not religious, don't go to Church and do not avail myself of their services. But I belong to other Institutions or charities, and I pay my dues to them, as I realise that they cannot do their work without, be it my local Ski cClub, the WWF or the National Trust and Oxfam (UK) and a few more.
How can a Church look after its brethren without financial support?

How much does that work out as a percentage of income? I bet it is very small - would be great if you could quickly calculate and report back. Surely a Church cannot function, pay salaries, repairs, etc, without financial support from its brethren? The contributions paid by members of my cousin's Church in NJ were enormous.
Most local people put a bit aside for their religious tax every month. Any Club or Assoc/Charity need financial contributions to do what they are set out to do, surely. I use a car so pay my road taxes, use a TV so pay my dues for that. It is just common sense. If I don't want to pay road tax, I'll sell my car and use public transport. People here expect to be married, have their kids baptised and confirmed, have pretty song services and music at Christmas and be buried by the Church - but are not prepared to contribute. Just does not work that way. Either you do, or you don't. You can't really expect your local village Church to give services in English and all the languages of their community, really. it's funny, I am religious or belong to any Church (in our family it is so complicated- been put off forever, lol) and yet I can see that a Church cannot function without contributions from their followers.

maybe they should operate a pay as you go scheme. 30chfs for a sunday service, 500 chfs for a baptism, 400 chfs for a confirmation etc. etc.

drum up a bit of business by offering a 2 for the price of one on the forgiveness of sins (offer excludes deadly sins). or a service charge on the buggering of small boys...

I understand and respect all that you are saying, I too pay for having a car on the road, a bike to ride etc... However, for them to dictate what my contribution will be (and quite a bite I might add) I disagree. I do not mind giving to the local church but feel without having to denounce my faith I should make that decision as to how much. If there was an English speaking church I would attend.
Here is another question. I did find an English speaking church in Basel (30 minutes from my house by train). If I were to attend that church then what? Do I pay double taxes for attending in a different canton? And what about the tithes? I guess that is just in addition right?

Nah. You'd go back to your city hall and tell them that, as you have no religion, you are no longer prepared to pay church tax.

Then you attend the church of your choice, where you pay your tithes or put your money in the collection as you would in any normal church.

It is crazy to pay for the services of a church which you never attend, unless you have your own reasons for wishing to contribute to its upkeep.

You are still a Christian, whatever the paper on the desk of the town hall clerk says.

Anywhere from a couple of hundred to tens of thousands per year.

A church needs financial support from it's members, no question. I have no issue with donating to a church, I believe one should do so if one is an active member and agrees with the projects/policies that one's donation supports. My problem is with the mandatory aspect of the CH church tax. In other countries where I was an active church member donations were voluntary - you gave what you could, as your conscience dictated. And interestingly enough - voluntary donations often tend to be a higher percentage of a person's income than the CH church tax.

Perhaps it's because I come from the US, where the separation of church and state is 'sacred', but I struggle with the very concept of a church tax, i.e., government involvement even if only as collector and bookkeeper. For me, the church tax takes choice - the ability to follow my conscience - out of religious practice. Which just seems wrong to me.

Most of the money I gave in my home city was spent on an elderly home and charity. As hard as it is for me to confess, I have a hard time givng money to charities. I don't think "a pay as you go" would be beneficial to those most in need (having to pay those services would lead to less people wanting to marry/ baptize, therefore even decreasing the income to spend on charities).

I thought for a long time to cut away from the church here since first I don't like the catholic priest where I live (he is way too conservative for my taste) and secondly I understand no word of the service. But I decided to pay the tax (about 200 CHF per year) to help those in need. It's a compromise. But 16 CHF per month it's not that much for my sinful pride of helping someone else

Private opinion vs law.... which one do you think wins in a democracy ?
You are in Switzerland, locals do not have to care about your mother tongue at all. Nothing is due to you in English. Enjoy what you can get in English because English is the global language and deal with the rest like a person who can place countries on a map.

Frankly, seen with local eyes, you are a diva. I am not saying you are, but this is the image you let other perceve of you. Shame really. The good news is that you can change that.

When I first got a church tax bill in Ticino, I sent a letter (in English) stating that we were not a member of their church, nor any other. End of story.

However, if you have kids (I do) and want them to do church things, baptism, etc. (I don't), you will have a problem if you declare 'NONE'.

Tom