Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

HEALTH

What are the coronavirus-extended tax deadlines in each Swiss canton?

With deadlines extended across Switzerland due to the coronavirus, here is the date in your canton - and what to do if you’re lodging late.

Published: 16 June 2020 17:29 CEST
What are the coronavirus-extended tax deadlines in each Swiss canton?
Photo: New York Public Library/Unsplash

With tax due during the peak of the pandemic, lodgement deadlines were extended in cantons across Switzerland. 

Tax returns must usually be lodged on March 31st each year. However, as this was at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic and the government’s lockdown, it was extended to a later date in each canton. 

In effect, this means that there are 26 different lodgement dates. Some were extended by two months and some by up to six, while a handful have not extended the date. 

What if I’ve missed my lodgement date?

The earliest extension date which applies is May 31st, in the cantons of Appenzell-Ausserrhoden, Basel City, Geneva, Lucerne, Schwyz, St Gallen, Uri, Valais and Zurich. 

However, if you haven’t been able to lodge your return already, the government has announced it will waive interest on late payments of tax due anywhere from March until the end of December, 2020.

READ: Switzerland's strangest taxes – and what happens if you don't pay them 

As this is a federal rule, it will still apply even if the deadline has not been extended in your canton. 

Cantons have also indicated that taxpayers can apply for an extension in some circumstances. 

What is the lodgement date in my canton? 

The following cantons have not extended the lodging date for tax returns: Graübunden/Grisons, Neuchatel, Appenzell-Innerrhoden, Thurgau, Glarus and Obwalden. This means it nominally remains in place at the 31st of March, 2020. 

These cantons have extended the date to May 31st, 2020: Appenzell-Ausserrhoden, Basel City, Geneva, Lucerne, Schwyz, St Gallen, Uri, Valais and Zurich. 

In these cantons, you have until June 30th to submit your tax return: Aargau, Basel Country, Fribourg, Nidwalden, Schaffhausen, Ticino, Vaud and Zug. 

Swiss tax changes for 2020: What you need to know

The date in Jura and Solothurn is July 31st, while in Bern your returns must be submitted by September 15th. 

The cantons have also put in place a variety of different measures to soften the blow of the coronavirus. 

This article does not constitute financial advice. It operates as a guide. 

For further questions or to help prepare your tax return, please contact an accountant or tax advisor. 

 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

HEALTH

How difficult is it to change your doctor in Switzerland?

If you already have a GP doctor in Switzerland but, for some reason, need or want to switch, how easy is it to do so?

Published: 8 July 2024 15:59 CEST
Updated: 8 September 2024 05:47 CEST
How difficult is it to change your doctor in Switzerland?

There are a number of reasons why you may want to leave your GP and find a new one.

Maybe you don’t like their bedside manner, are not happy with the medical care, or are simply moving away and need to find someone closer to your new home.

Whatever the reason, whether or not you can easily switch from one doctor to another depends on the kind of health insurance you have.

Different models, different rights

If you have the ‘standard’ — and typically the most expensive — type of the obligatory health insurance (KVG / LaMal), then you are free to switch your GPs at will, and you don’t have to inform the insurance carrier of the switch.

However, if you have opted for one of the cheaper insurance models, then your right to switch doctors may be limited:

Family doctor model’

It is the most popular in Switzerland (and 20 percent cheaper than standard insurance policy premiums).

Under this model, you have a family doctor who will manage your care — that is, treat you or send you to specialists if needed (with the exception of gynecologists and eye doctors, who don’t require a referral).

You can’t, however, change doctors at will, unless your insurance company approves the switch.

Telemedicine model

If you have opted for the Telemed formula, you must call a health hotline set up by your insurance company.

They will give you a referral to a doctor or hospital based on your symptoms.
 
Heath Maintainance Organisation (HMO)

Under this model, policyholders are required to consult a particular HMO practice. Two disadvantages of this alternative is a limited choice of doctors and you also need a referral to see a specialist.

So the only option that gives you the right to switch doctors with no hassle is the standard one, with the family doctor model also possibly allowing you to do so, under certain circumstances.

The way Telmed and HMO are set up, however, switching doctors is not possible. If that option is important to you, then you will have to switch to the (more expensive) standard insurance.

The only exception to the above restrictions are emergencies, when you need urgent medical treatment.

Assuming you have the standard model, how do you go about changing?

The process is pretty simple: you can find physicians in your area either through recommendations from people you know (which is the best way to ensure you will not be getting an ‘anonymous’ doctor) or, if no recommendations are available, then through the OneDoc platform, which lists which doctors are taking new patients and where.

You can then make an appointment directly online.

When you do so, ask your current physician’s office to transfer your file to the new doc.

You don’t need to explain the reasons for the switch.
 
READ ALSO: The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters 
 

SHOW COMMENTS