anyone know when tax refunds for 2007 are going to be paid out? or if there is anyway to hurry them up??

Presumably your tax filing has not yet been assessed. It all depends on the complexity of your tax situation and the backlog at the office assessing you.

Just got a 1200 CHF refund from 2007 - Seems to take a while to trickle back. For some reason, the Kanton, Gemeinde and Bund do not seem to believe the current year - even when your tax return shows lower payments. Just my experience.
Apparently you can tell these people that circumstances have changed and they will downgrade your estimates (never tried it yet) - then you get revised estimates.
Depends which Kanton you live in - mine (Aargau) is one year ahead - some are one year behind.

and do you think you would be able to look at on average 300,000 tax returns per canton of varying complexity in an afternoon and generate a response?

if you are in the system you will get your bill or rebate with interest in due course. think of it as an early xmas present when it comes.

The commune (community? Gemeinde?) where I live (Kanton Zurich, Gemeinde Maur) has informed me that it will take 18-24 months to process my tax declaration for 2007 counting from the time I submitted it.

I moved over to a C permit recently, so now I have to do my tax returns 'the Swiss way'. Havent got used to it really. I made a prepayment for the expected bill in 2007 and have money sitting in an account for the expected remainder. Funny system! This money just sits there.

Now I have received the expected bill for 2008 and have been invited to prepay for this year too. I just dont really know if I should. I mean 2007 hasnt been sorted out.

How do other people manage their tax bills anyway? At some point I will receive a bill for the rest of the tax from 2007. I assume it will be large i.e. mulitples of 10'000 CHF. What would happen if I didnt have it on account? Must happen that people have cash flow imbalances all the time. I sort of prefer paying tax at source and filling in a tax return later....

two ways:

1.) get the highest paying deposit account with your bank (i like e-deposit with the post) and each month automagically transfer in 20-30% into it and forget about it! when the bill comes pay from that account.

2.) you can also pre-pay monthly i think with most cantons.

option 1) you earn interest from the point of deposit and you can access the money in an emergency but then you will need to have another back up. some people give in to temptation but this account should be called you tax account for taxes only! you can open as many of this as you wish with the post.

but with option 2) the tax man actually pays YOU a higher interest rate (not sure if it is from point of deposit of end of year) but he has the money and will only allow you to use for the taxes! there is a post some where on this. if i find i'll add it.

EDIT: here it is and a useful thread too!

http://www.englishforum.ch/finance-banking-taxation/36246-swiss-tax-dumbies.html#post427546

I too live in a Commune on Zurich's periphery. My tax declaration is usually assessed within 2 months. Reason: I have a small income and no fancy deductions. This is within the competence of the village officials.

More complex tax declarations are forwarded to the experts at cantonal head-office. I help a neighbor with his tax return and that is assessed after about 2 years.