Hi Everyone!

First of all, Happy New Year!

I've been (negatively) surprised to hear that after getting Swiss citizenship, until the year of 38, I need to pay 3% of income as military tax (Wehrpflichtersatz)... It's quite significant amounts and I would have some questions, in case any of you already was confronted with this:

- I read that this tax is paid irrespectively if the person has multiple nationalities and did meet the military service in another country. Is this correct or any proof of completed military service would absolve from this tax? It's written so: "Haben Sie im Ausland bereits den Militär- order Ersatzdienst geleistet, werden Sie vom Militärdienst befreit, jedoch unterstehen Sie der Ersatzpflicht"
- I read that the tax is paid until 37, but then it also states until the year when the 37th year is over... So if born in Jan, does it mean that the payment would go even for the year of 38th...?

In my case, I've got the citizenship at the age of 36, but seems I will need to pay another 2 years as born in January , unless I've read it wrong

Thanks in advance!

Yes, you have to pay, just be happy that's only until 38 these days, it was 43 when I did it, and in the past 64!

Tom

Year of naturalization is free, so 36th year in your case. Tax is payable until 37 so you will likely only need to pay once, for your 37th year and it is 3% of your federal taxable income

Why not do the civil service (mentioned in the German text you quoted) if you don't want to pay?

If indeed it is a significant amount, then you are obviously earning a significant salary and can easily afford it


Thankyou for your contribution to the national defense of Switzerland.

Thank you! All valid points just wanted to understand the exact terms and whether indeed this holds despite having completed military service elsewhere.

Anyone can share experience on how to sign up for civil service eventually (not sure I qualify at 37) and if it's possible to combine it with a full time job? I would consider it, not bcs of the tax, but as a further integration effort, will have to research how it exactly works...

Not so easy. I did one day training, which didn't reduce my tax much. Then, a month before I was about to be done from paying the tax, they wanted me to do a course, which I had my employer deal with.

Tom

Not exactly the same question but related.

Are you still liable for the tax if you are declared exempt from military service for medical reasons?
My feeling is that the answer is yes (and of course I could look it up) but I’m sure one of our knowledgeable forum members will know the answer.

Just depends!

''La taxe d'exemption de l'obligation de servir n'est pas prélevée sur les rentes AI ou en cas d'une atteinte à l'intégrité corporelle supérieure à 40 %. La personne concernée doit faire valoir par écrit, qu'elle est tout à fait prête, cependant, à accomplir un service militaire avec restrictions médicales particulières.''

If you have AI benefits or have a handicap superior to 40% incapacity, you don't pay. The person concerned has to write tot he authorities to the effect they are prepared to do military service under specific medical restrictions.

That´s a bit different from being exempt for medical reasons in most cases?
It can be a severe allergy, asthma, whatever. That is not only IV.

I clearly wrote either AI or ..

If special conditions cannot be met for military service to be safe, then any medical condtions could be valid. Including severe allergies etc.

So basically unless the condition is considered to be more than 40% debilitating you have to pay the taxes even if the army refuses to accept you?

I suppose there must be areas of civil service where a person can do their service with less stringent criteria than the army? My son’s friend should look into that option I think.

I imagine cases are examined individually in special cases.

I do wonder about my grandson, for instance, very fit, sporty, strong- but with an anaphilactic allergy to egg, that would mean communal living would be extremely dangerous.

Yup unfortunately: you are either declared fit for army (and then can apply to civil service), unfit for army but fit for civil protection (and pay the tax for any outstanding days) or unfit for both (and of course have to pay the tax to compensate).

One guy took Switzerland to court all the way to European human rights court and won claiming it was discriminatory to have him pay without the possibility to serve because of his medical condition and since then this option is available:

https://www.estv.admin.ch/estv/fr/ac...iculieres.html

http://www.lawinside.ch/1049/

Move along, move along, nothing to be seen here – just another economic migrant who misjudged his citizenship application by a year or two and hopes being shown a loophole by other mercenaries to avoid the least personal involvement/expenditure…

I know of one person who had made Sergeant before it was discovered he had a degenerative autoimmune disorder. He was discharged and has to pay the tax. He's annoyed having planned to make a career of the military.

The person in question is Swiss born and bred so not a lot he can do about it and honestly he would rather do the actual service so the link provided above is actually very helpful.

To do civil service you must be fit for military service. Civil service takes 1.5 times as long as the outstanding military service.

If you are unfit for military service you will be assigned to civil protection, unless you are deemed to be unfit for this as well.

Recruitment and thus serving military, civil service, or civil protection is only possible up to age 24 (exceptions apply).

In recent past, the Swiss military opened itself to those which would be usually considered as unfit, if they are willing to do military service. We have to thank Nouh Arhab which was so stubborn that the Army had to accept him.

__________________
On Strike - ChatGPT knows more than I, so use it (or doesn't it?)

A few years back, 32 yrs old (or something) was the cutoff. A colleague started his application immediately after his 32nd birthday. He got his citizenship and then the law change to 38, so now he has to pay. To add, this guy is a secondo, so no issues meeting citizenship requirement, just didn't want to do military

Any indication about why a 38 YO recenty gaining Swiss citizenship should be concerned about a few questions raised...