The Canton of Zürich uploaded a guide "How to fill in your tax return" on their website:

http://www.steueramt.zh.ch/internet/..._location.html

Awesome!!!!!

I have an advisor and he's good, but since I am used to "trust, but verify", and it drives me nuts to just take someone's advice without checking the ins and outs, I had a grand time (not) a couple of months ago figuring out what meant what in the German ZH tax return and associated explanatory booklet.

This is a great resource, thanks for sharing - although the infamous booklet in German was good language practice, I guess

My problem is that even if such documents are provided in English I have difficulty understanding Them.

Look forward to studying it soon.

It is a step in the right direction but short of detail.

Thank you for this most helpful link. Was trying to find something like this myself but did not succeed...I owe you a beer at the wednesday conversational german.

Precious link, thanks for posting it. Brings some clarifications to our questions as well.

The guide is very helpful. Does anyone know any other places that you can read about taxes in Switzerland. I'll be working there temporary and I want to understand all of the taxes I will have to pay there and back home

Swimguy, since you said you are only here temporarily (I think you mentioned 6 months in another thread), are you being brought here on an intercompany secondment?

If so, there are lots of tax implications and possibilities.

If you could give a bit more info, we could give you more relevant advise.

Swimguy - the most important thing is whether your contract will be local (Swiss) or ex-pat (where you are currently employed).

If the latter - you'll have to do nothing
If the former - GULP!!!

thanks for the comments. The exact situation is still being worked on but below is what I think will play out.

Will be a short term expat contract with an employer from the US. If this this the case:

1) Will i be responsible for Federal, Cantonal and Municpal taxes in Switzerland?
2) My pay will come from the US employer not the Swiss related party.
3) Will i have to file any tax returns in Switzerland?
4) Since I will not meet the tests for the US IRS foreign income exclusion (1st year will be in switzerland about 100 days and 2nd year only 60 to 90) what will be my obligations to the US IRS. Is it as simple as declaring my income earned while abroad and that would be taxed as part of my wages on my US Tax Return.
5) If i do have to pay any taxes in Switzerland (federal, cantonal and municipal) do i get a credit $ for $ on my US tax return.
6) Are there any tax obligations in Switzerland for my Pier Diem allowance from my allowance or my covered housing

What would be the different if I end up as a Swiss Employee. I'm assuming i would be fully responsible for the three types of taxes and they would be withheld from my paycheck and then back home I would have to file my US tax return and declare all my income and pay taxes again (including FICA/MICA) and then I can deduct the taxes I paid in Switzerland.

WHere can I read about the wealth tax? I've never heard of this in the US

Expat = nothing to worry about (assuming the contract defines the domicile) IE the US

Your employer will deal with it as part of "tax equalisation". This is where the employer is held responsible for ensuring the employee is not liable for taxes due to the employer utilising the employee outside of their domicile.

The likes of PWC and BC might have consultants working in 4 countries in a year - clocking 90 days in each - falling liable for tax in each - while contracted and domiciled in another!

Canton Zug have this too.

http://www.zg.ch/behoerden/finanzdir...3.pdf/download

See http://taxsummaries.pwc.com/uk/taxsu...ID/JDCN-8MF3EL or http://www.ey.com/GL/en/Services/Tax...013/TGE-CH.xml

Grüezi,

I have searched the forums for a relevant thread but couldn't find what I was looking for, so I hope I'm not being repetitive! I'm new...

I'm a dual citizen who moved to CH (Zurich) in the middle of last year. I worked only the last 3 months during the tax year and therefore had a pretty modest income. I've received a form with invoices for a "suggested amount" that I may pay in taxes, along with another invoice if I would like to pay on next year's as well. I am confused because:

1. I have heard that if you made under 120k, you do not even file and send in a tax return form. Is this true?

2. My coworker told me that if I wait and calculate the payment myself instead of paying the suggested amount, I will owe added interest and this is worse. How does this work?

3. What if I decide to pay the suggested amount for this year and find I have paid too much? Will I receive some kind of refund?

So... do I have to file a tax return, and should I calculate the amount due myself or just pay the suggested amount I was sent?

All knowledge and opinions are VERY MUCH appreciated. I've already been through US tax hell, and this is part 2!

10k a month will require you yo make a full tax return.

Calculate & pay what you actually owe is acceptable.

If you pay what your asked, you will receive a refund with interest if applicable.

He is a Swiss. So even 0.001k per month means a full tax return.

For Canton of Zurich 2015 tax:

Interest is +1.5% per annum in your favor for any tax amount paid before Sept. 30 2015
Interest is +/-1.5% per annum for any tax debt owned or tax overpaid after Sept 30 2015.
Actual taxed owned per Sept. 30 2015 is calculated once you filled your 2015 tax return and it is processed. You will get 2015 tax return documents by mail January/February 2016. Processing can take up to 12 Month, some times even more. Which means the final bill for actual tax owned for 2015 may be sent some-when 2017.

Overpaying taxes is one of the most safe investments and earns a rather high interest.

For a rough estimate what you have to pay:
http://www.estv2.admin.ch/d/dienstle...er/2014/zh.php
Just plug in your gross income.

You should have got two letters with 2015 tax pay slips:

One for the Bundeststeuer 2015. You can not change much there, ans you have to call the phone number if you desire to pay a different amount. Bundessteuer is approx CHF 3300 for a gross income of 120k.

And one with a bundle of payslips for the Kantons and Gemeindesteuer:
Use the one without any amount to submit you desired pre-payment. If you use e-banking you can reuse it to submit a fixed amount every month, for ex. by standing order. Kantons and Gemindesteuer is approx 15000 for a gross income of 120k.

__________________
"Whoa, careful now. These are dangerous streets for us upper-lower-middle-class types. So avoid eye contact, watch your pocketbook, and suspect everyone."

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I will just go with the suggested amount because it seems the safest and best option.