Much of depends on in which canton you file. I've lived here six years; each year I have a refund due because of substantial deductions. When I lived in Neuchatel, the tax refund credited to my account in about 6 months. I moved to Lausanne (Vaud) and my refund took nearly three years. Canton Vaud is famously slow and inefficient, and you have to ride their asses weekly to get any type of response.