Hello Ladies and Gents!

I shall get straight to the point ... - but not without a quick foreword.

It is with slight sentimentalism that I revisit this forum today for the first time in a very long time, even finding some of my old posts, but not having been able to log in on my old login. This forum has severed me well, or should I say, the kind people such as yourselves have helped me a great deal while living and working in good old Zurich-town.

I have been gone for 12 months now, but - imagine that - the Swiss Uncle Sam has started to hunt me. And this is where once more I have to ask for your kind help:

The FACTS:
I resided and was registered in Zurich from February 2008 to 31 January 2009.
I was working and earning taxable income from February 2008 to 31 December 2008.
I canceled my registration at the end of January 2009, without having generated any taxable income for 2009.

I had my taxes done properly for 2008 and was under the impression that I do not need to file for 2009, as there was no work or income. Subsequently I moved away.

The PROBLEM:
The Swiss authorities have simply projected what they believe to be my income for 2009 until I canceled the registration. Apparently I missed several deadlines of appealing this and am now at risk for being "betrieben", in spite of me never even earned anything during that period.

The required SOLUTION:
I need to file that I was not employed and did not earn any money during this period. However, I am rather unfamiliar with the intricacies of this Swiss tax filing and am also on the other side of the world. Perhaps this is really easy and I just don't know it? This situation seems so straight forward to me, that perhaps there is a single form I need to fill to be set free?
Who can help, please? If needs be, I am also open to referrals to tax professionals, provided they don't charge an arm and a leg....

The THANKFULNESS:
Really, you all, your kind help will be well remembered and I will seriously be thank ful for any and all productive leads and pointers in this.

Again, Thank YOU.

Best,
Nick.

www.colfina.ch
Denise can help....

This is where the big mistake occurred.

You knew you had no income.
But the authorities did not, as you never told them via the proper channels (tax return). So the authorities made the assumption everything carried on unchanged - why should they assume otherwise?

And when you didn't file on time, the processes kicked in and the system started working. End result: tax department chasing you.

IMMEDIATELY, if not sooner, send the tax authorities a letter stating what the situation was.

Enclose PROOF of your termination of employment at the end of 2008.
Enclose PROOF of your wealth (for the wealth tax) as at 31.12.2008 and as at 31.1.2009. Here on EF we have no idea if you are a pauper or a multi-millionaire, so wealth tax may or may not be inconsequential
Enclose PROOF that you left the country and were de-registered.

You must accept that you will have to pay tax for January 2009, because you were here. At the very least: 1/12 of the wealth tax for your wealth.

When I arrived in Switzerland in December one year, I was in the country for 13 days before the 31st December turned around.
I had no income and few assets.
I was still, correctly, issued a tax return, which I promptly filed.
It had lots of 0's in it :-)
I received a lovely letter from the tax dept, properly calculating my portion of federal and wealth tax, and apportioning it for the 13 days I was here.
But the tax office generously let me of the CHF 1.80 tax bill :-)


So anyway, TALK to the tax office straight away (or via email / letter). Explain you did not understand, and fill in a tax form for them
That will be likely to be very simple with no income (unless you have a complex wealth structure across many countries...)

Good luck!