Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Zurich attracts more immigrants, tax reform is on the way, and other Swiss news in our roundup on Monday.
Immigration to Zurich reaches a new record
Never before have so many foreigners moved to the city of Zurich as in 2022, new data shows.
In all, 30,000 foreign nationals have settled in the city so far this year, beating the previous record of 28,500 in 2007.
Most of the newcomers this year came from Germany. The number of immigrants from Italy, France, Spain, and Poland has also gone up in 2022.
Three-quarters of newly arrived foreigners are under the age of 40; most of them are highly qualified and have a bachelor's degree or higher professional education.
Interestingly for the German-speaking city, 12 percent of these arrivals said they mainly use English as their daily language.
READ MORE : 'You're missing out': The verdict on getting by in Switzerland with just English
Government makes progress on individual taxation reform
On Friday, The Federal Council opened a consultation on a bill which seeks to reform the taxation of married couples.
Until now, they have had to file their taxes jointly, but in the future each can choose to file their own tax return, thus avoiding the so-called "penalisation of marriage" resulting from higher tax from combining both incomes on the same declaration.
The government is working on clarifying the new rules for federal taxes, but cantons will be responsible for implementing the reform at the cantonal and communal levels.
Overall, the reform is good news for married couples, as they will pay less federal tax if they file their returns separately; on the other hand, the government will lose up to one billion francs in revenue.
The consultation will continue until March 16th.
READ MORE : Does marriage make financial sense in Switzerland?
Rents are likely to rise for half of Switzerland’s tenants
At 1.25 percent, the mortgage reference interest rate is still at a record low level in Switzerland, but that is likely to go up next year, according to the Federal Housing Office (BWO).
Therefore, rents are likely to increase as well.
The mortgage reference interest rate is a benchmark that apartment rents in Switzerland are based on. It is linked directly to the average interest rate for all mortgages in the country.
READ MORE: Reader question: How can I legally reduce my rent in Switzerland?
Significant avalanche danger in southern Switzerland
Up to 50 centimeters of fresh snow fell on the south side of the Alps within 24 hours over the weekend. The danger level for avalanches was upgraded to "significant" by the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF).
The south portals of Gotthard and San Bernardino are partly covered with snow and the road conditions are correspondingly critical. Numerous passes, including the Simpson, are currently closed.
The warning level will probably likely remain in place until Tuesday. In the meantime, spontaneous avalanches can be expected, according to SLF.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Immigration to Zurich reaches a new record
Never before have so many foreigners moved to the city of Zurich as in 2022, new data shows.
In all, 30,000 foreign nationals have settled in the city so far this year, beating the previous record of 28,500 in 2007.
Most of the newcomers this year came from Germany. The number of immigrants from Italy, France, Spain, and Poland has also gone up in 2022.
Three-quarters of newly arrived foreigners are under the age of 40; most of them are highly qualified and have a bachelor's degree or higher professional education.
Interestingly for the German-speaking city, 12 percent of these arrivals said they mainly use English as their daily language.
READ MORE : 'You're missing out': The verdict on getting by in Switzerland with just English
Government makes progress on individual taxation reform
On Friday, The Federal Council opened a consultation on a bill which seeks to reform the taxation of married couples.
Until now, they have had to file their taxes jointly, but in the future each can choose to file their own tax return, thus avoiding the so-called "penalisation of marriage" resulting from higher tax from combining both incomes on the same declaration.
The government is working on clarifying the new rules for federal taxes, but cantons will be responsible for implementing the reform at the cantonal and communal levels.
Overall, the reform is good news for married couples, as they will pay less federal tax if they file their returns separately; on the other hand, the government will lose up to one billion francs in revenue.
The consultation will continue until March 16th.
READ MORE : Does marriage make financial sense in Switzerland?
Rents are likely to rise for half of Switzerland’s tenants
At 1.25 percent, the mortgage reference interest rate is still at a record low level in Switzerland, but that is likely to go up next year, according to the Federal Housing Office (BWO).
Therefore, rents are likely to increase as well.
The mortgage reference interest rate is a benchmark that apartment rents in Switzerland are based on. It is linked directly to the average interest rate for all mortgages in the country.
READ MORE: Reader question: How can I legally reduce my rent in Switzerland?
Significant avalanche danger in southern Switzerland
Up to 50 centimeters of fresh snow fell on the south side of the Alps within 24 hours over the weekend. The danger level for avalanches was upgraded to "significant" by the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF).
The south portals of Gotthard and San Bernardino are partly covered with snow and the road conditions are correspondingly critical. Numerous passes, including the Simpson, are currently closed.
The warning level will probably likely remain in place until Tuesday. In the meantime, spontaneous avalanches can be expected, according to SLF.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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