Swiss cantons and municipalities have lots of rules pertaining to their residents, both human and canine. They include paying taxes.
In some ways, your dog’s status is similar to your own.
You probably know that when you move to a new municipality, you must register your arrival with the communal authorities.
READ ALSO: Why you need to tell Swiss authorities where you live
The same obligation extends to your dog (though not to cats, hamsters, or ferrets).
According to the information provided by the government, “the commune will register you and your dog in the AMICUS database and assign you an ID. This database includes all dog owners in Switzerland and their dogs. The commune also registers address changes, changes of owner or the death of a dog.”
The same process, in reverse, applies when you leave your current address: you must de-register both yourself and the dog.
What’s next?
Pretty much the same thing as happens to you – that is, the commune will send you and the dog a tax bill.
You will receive an annual invoice for the dog tax from your commune or your canton. Just as your bill, it too will have a QR code for payment.
The amount of the tax can vary but typically amounts to about 100 to 200 francs.
But while your bill is determined by your income and assets, the dog tax may depend on the size or weight of the animal – in other words, you will get more of a tax break for a Chihuahua than for a Great Dane (a dog, not a person).
Advertisement
What happens if you don’t pay?
Being a tax dodger is not wise – pretty much on the par of barking up the wrong tree.
To recoup unpaid dog taxes, some Swiss authorities had up until recently a relatively morbid way of punishing tax evaders.
Reconvilier, in Bern, had a bylaw which allowed authorities to kill pet dogs if the taxes weren’t paid. This law – originally passed in 1904 – was used in 2011 to try and punish a family who had failed to pay their outstanding dog tax, which amounted to roughly 50 francs.
While officials said that the idea of the law was to put pressure on owners to comply, it wasn’t for widespread use.
“This isn’t about a mass execution of dogs. It’s meant to put pressure on people who don’t cooperate.”
Advertisement
Are any dogs…tax-exempt?
Yes.
Guide/therapy dogs, rescue dogs, and police dogs are often exempt from tax.
Many communes also provide a discount for guard dogs on farms.
For instance, on November 12th, 2025, Valais MPs approved a motion requesting a tax exemption for sheepdogs used to protect flocks. The text has been forwarded to the State Council for a response.
This exemption already applies in most rural cantons, such as Fribourg, Schwyz, Glarus, and Appenzell Ausserrhoden.
READ ALSO: Switzerland’s strangest taxes – and what happens if you don’t pay them
