I am allowed not to pay church tax in Zurich: I am Italian and I don't belong to any religion. I have been told to make a declaration about that and forward it to my designated church in Zurich.

Apart from the saving aspect, do you know if any consequences/problems (buricracy issues, etc) may be in sight after finishing to pay church tax, or any other question worth to be taken into account?

Francesco

If you are not religious, and you don't want to pay the church stuff, then simply don't tick the box on your tax declaration form. Nothing bad will happen if you don't pay it.

aside from going to hell?

'cept that you will be struck down by lightening..

I guess... if you believe that stuff

But I doubt god would be quite so mean to smite you simply for not paying your church taxes. The church makes plenty of money as it is.

My understanding is that if you want to do anything in church for religious purposes (e.g. marriage or burial) you'd have difficulty.

Then you can just go abroad and find no problem whatsoever. To me it is new that you have to pay a church tax. never did so back home.

Would that be the Church of Paradox..?

I don't think that is correct. Once you have paid Church Tax you have to officially quit the Church by writing to the present church. Otherwise you will have to pay, tick or no tick.

Wow I never heard of that. So like if you go to church in Switzerland you have to pay a church tax? I never heard of something like that.

I don't know for other cantons, but in Geneva you pay if you want. (at least for the Catholics) You just have to put a cross (...) on your fiscal declaration.

(and I used to fill those things for others)


editing : just want to mention I've been working with social services and "poor people". So it's right I'm not sure how it goes when you get high income or have your stuff taxed at the source.

Oooooh okay.

if you are over 120k your church tax is taken at source and then you claim it back on the tax returns.

Haven't got the figure on top of my head, but I thought it was a really really small amount... as Carlos said, if it may create problems down the line, especially if you in CH for the long run, may be better just to pay it?

Unless you have a bone to pick with the church, but that's a whole different thread

It seems to be different in each Canton, it is quite complicated....

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirchensteuer_(Schweiz)

Despite the Swiss repeatedly voting down a separation of church and state I don't believe it is legal to punish you for a) praying b) visiting a church c) praying in a church. If someone has a case study of someone being legally prosecuted for practicing a faith without paying taxes, please send it my way. (Minarets are a sad development for freedom of religion, but not tax-related as far as I know.)

Just to clarify this; if you are already paying church tax you need to write to the town's church authority to opt out. They'll write back confirming your request with a heart rendering "we'll miss you" letter.

If you are a business owner (AG or GmbH), you cannot opt out, you pay a pro rata rate which is a non-denominational payment. I'm not a fan, but the amount is not significant and if you have any sense, you should take your money out so that you can be taxed at the lower individual rate (where you can opt out) as opposed to higher corporate tax rates.

Some additional information on the community functions of churches in Switzerland.

Churches in Switzerland are more than buildings to visit for services, prayer, marriage and death. In many communities in Switzerland, it is the local church that dispenses social services - the Kirchegemeinde. They offer intervention in family crisis, food and medicine aid, help for the elderly, and provide facilities for the local community to gather.

I befriended an old Swiss woman, and so was invited to her 80th Birthday at a Kirchegemeinde. The Kirchegemeinde provided the food. A whole marching band with full brass came in and played a number of songs. I found out later that the Kirchgemeinde checks up on her and other seniors on a daily basis. They see to it they are well, have food and basic needs taken care of.

So this is an example of how church taxes in Switzerland are used. It is an integral part of Swiss culture and society. And if you should chose to withhold your church taxes, I am quite sure this institution will continue to serve its community without your contribution. I think church taxes are something like CHF100-CHF200 a month. If you have problems paying it, then fine, keep it. But see how much real value you can pull from your measly CHF100.

The next time you feel alienated or disenfranchised in Switzerland; wonder why the locals have a particular attitude towards foreigners; it is probably because you already opted out.

While it's true not all Church authorities are child rapists, many of us have problems with the underhand way in which you're pulled into paying in the first place: namely on initial registration in your community one is asked one's religion. No mention is made that by declaring a circumstance of birth one will be charged a tax to an organisation which itself pays no tax. If they'd told us on registration we'd be involved, rather than sleight of hand, there'd be no issue: we could make a decision there and then rather than the rigamarole of writing to opt out. Who do they think they are?

There are other organisations I would prefer to contribute to on a voluntary basis which serve my community, and they are far less patronising than any collection of old dudes in frocks who claim superstitious mumbo jumbo as their 'creed'. On an individual level, I think the work community groups do is invaluable.

This isn't an organization that is moving into Switzerland. It is the Swiss establishment.

The more appropriate question: Who do YOU think you are?

As I was an atheist (a well informed one) when I arrived in Switzerland, I knew what to expect and ticked the 'confessionless' box on the form.

I am now a member of a church that is not supported by Swiss church tax, so see no reason to support everyone else's churches when I should be supporting my own.

To be honest, I find the notion of government support for 'approved' churches to be somewhat disagreeable - and that's speaking as a member of the Established church in my home country.

I'll pay as my conscience dictates, not as some politician tells me.

To suggest that non-church-goers should give up hard earned cash to support charities without any say as to which charities they support is a bit cheeky, and misses the whole point of charity anyway.