An ‘ecclesiastical tax’ is mandatory in most of Switzerland’s cantons. Does opting out of this fee mean the church can turn down your request for a marriage or other religious services? Here’s what you should know.
Switzerland is one of only a handful of countries to levy a church tax.
For more information on the tax, including which cantons have made it mandatory, check out the following link.
EXPLAINED: What is ‘church tax’ in Switzerland and do I have to pay it?
But what happens if you never declared your religious affiliation when registering with your local commune or if you decide to opt out of paying this tax afterwards?
Can you still be part of the church community and benefit from religious services such as marriage or funeral?
This is only an issue if you are a resident of cantons other than Geneva, Neuchâtel, Vaud, and Ticino, where a church tax is not levied.
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If you live in the other 22 cantons, this is what you should know.
The only marriage considered legal in Switzerland is the one performed at a civil registry office. Religious ones are optional, so if you are not a churchgoer and don’t particularly care about the religious ceremony, then you can skip it altogether.
However if you, like many other couples, want to say ‘I do’ in front of a priest or minister after a civil marriage but you don’t pay church taxes, you have some other options to consider.
READ MORE: Does marriage make financial sense in Switzerland?
Are you a part of your local Catholic or Protestant congregation?
If you attend services more or less regularly, participate in various parish activities, and maybe even make a voluntary donation to the church, the chances of your pastor marrying you are greater than if you just walk off the street and ask to be wed.
Keep in mind however, that regardless of whether you are a member of a particular congregation or not, most churches will ask you to undergo a “marriage preparation course” beforehand.
This means you have to invest some time and effort into a religious wedding ceremony.
Can a clergy person refuse to marry a church tax evader even if all the above steps are taken?
There is nothing in the law to prevent him or her from turning down your request; churches are not required to marry everyone who shows up on their doorstep, especially as a religious ceremony is not a legal necessity in Switzerland.
However, this doesn’t mean a parish will automatically refuse to marry all those who don’t pay taxes. There is sufficient anecdotal evidence to suggest that if you fulfil all the requirements listed above, a priest or minister will marry you, but you will be charged a fee for this service.
How much will depend on your place of residence and your parish, but you can expect to pay upwards of 1,000 francs.
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What about a funeral?
Anyone can be buried in Switzerland without a religious ceremony; the family can make all the arrangements directly with the undertaker.
However, if a religious service is requested for a deceased person who did not pay his church taxes, conditions similar to those related to marriage would apply. In other words, clergy would most likely not refuse this sacred rite to anyone on the grounds that he or she didn’t pay taxes.
Here again, the family would have to pay the costs of the service.
READ MORE: Funerals, burials and wills: What you should know about dying in Switzerland
To sum up, you don’t have to automatically give up your dream of being married or buried by a member of the clergy. It all depends on a number of other factors.
