Greetings everyone,

as far as I know, the DA-1 form must be used to declare US dividends .
Shall I use the same form to declare EU dividends which have already been taxed?

Thanks.

yes.

One more question.

The tax return envelope (canton Zurich) has the following pre-printed address:

Steueramt Stadt Zurich
c/o Scan-Center Zurich
8010 Zurich

When filling my tax return using the "Private Tax 2017" software, however, the DA1 form is saved as a separate document saying

Beiblatt für die Einreichung mit Fensterkuvert:
Kantonales Steueramt Zürich Steueranrechnung
Bändliweg 21
Postfach
8090 Zürich


Am I missing something or shall I send two separate envelopes (tax return and DA1 form) at two separate addresses?

Thank you.

correct.

DA-1 goes to that second address.

(it should also be contained in the main return, which goes to the first address)

Do you happen to know whether there is a minimum to make a claim?

I have just received the answer from the tax office telling me I will get 0 CHF back.
As far as I understand, the document says the minimum claim is 50 CHF in withheld tax by foreign authorities, while my claim was slightly under that amount.
Does that ring any bell?
Also, the document makes a distinction between US and EU taxes withheld on dividends. Does it really matter?

1.) Can't remember if there is a minimum, can't access my files right now, but sounds like an appropriate Swiss reponse.
2.) That's a pretty quick turn-around!
3.) The purpose of the form is not to claim back the tax, the primary reason is this is the appropriate location to declare these foreign domiciled securitiess. A by-product is that the foreign with-held tax is calculated.
4.) the distinction is that for US secrities you get it all back, EU you get nothing back (can't remember why). but your worlwide assets should be declared in your tax return and for these EU ones, this is the location.

Thanks a lot bill_door. Yes, it was quick indeed .

OK, so according to (4) it's better to buy US rather than EU divident paying stocks. It's odd indeed.

that's relative (c;

If your're interested only in dividend accumulation (which is taxed as income in CH) then you have a higher cost of doing businsess i.e. you don't get the tax rebate (which would is added to the overall income and taxed as income!)
You might think there may be greater Capital upside in the EU compared to the US (unlikely) and the Capital increase of the stock is only considered in the total 'wealth tax' caclulation which is not significant. No capital gains in CH.

swings and round-abouts.

Yes there is.

My claim was rejected last year because it wasn't enough. I think it was about 50 EUR.

Sorry, can't remember the threshold amount they stated in the leter. This may also vary depending on the country and curency.

I think that's nor entirely accurate.

You can also declare foreign investments on the regular asset form. Only if you do that you voluntarily you relinquish claims to withholding tax on dividends. The purpose of the DA-1 form is to reclaim such tax from foreign tax offices.

So if you have foreign shares, for example, that either didn't pay any dividends, or where the dividends were os insignificant that you would gladly part with the withholding tax, then you wouldn't put them on DA-1 but instead put them on the regular form.

Thanks amogles.

Do Swiss tax authorities do it or I am supposed to make the reclaim, like in most EU countries?

The Swiss tax authorities will claim on your behalf.

But as I said, there is a threshoold below which they won't do it.