Married couples in Switzerland will get tax relief at last; the canton of Aargau seeks to introduce tougher checks at German border; and other news in our Wednesday roundup.
MPs vote in favour of ‘Individual Tax Initiative’
After years in limbo, the individual taxation of married couples is to be introduced in Switzerland at last, having received the majority’s support in the parliament on Tuesday.
Today, married couples are taxed together, which means that if both partners are employed, they often have to pay higher taxes than unmarried couples filing separately.
Their income is added (and taxed) together regardless of who made what.
Though the exact date when the law will go into effect is not yet known, individual taxation will be levied at the federal, cantonal and municipal level, bringing significant financial relief to many couples.
Aargau wants tougher checks at border crossings
MPs in canton Aargau, which shares a 37.5-km border with Germany, voted to accept a proposal stating that “the latest security policy challenges make it necessary to strengthen border controls.”
“The protection and security needs of our citizens must take center stage,” deputies said, adding that “Germany has tightened controls, and Switzerland must follow suit.”
The initiative will now be forwarded to the parliament in Bern for consideration at the federal level.
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Global warming ‘likely’ influenced’ the Valais landslide
Though a clear link between climate change and the collapse of the Birch glacier over the village of Blatten can’t be established scientifically, researchers at the Federal Polytechnic Institute (ETH) in Zurich said it is likely that rising temperatures played a role in the disaster.
“This event could certainly have occurred independently of climate change,” scientists acknowledged.
“However, rising global temperatures are indeed leading to drastic changes in high mountain regions. This leads to a higher availability of meltwater and more rain instead of snow at high altitudes.”
All these changes have a negative impact on the general stability of permafrost-affected rock faces in the short and medium term.
“In this respect, it seems likely that climate change played a role in this event,” they said.
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Edelweiss Air launches non-stop flights from Zurich to Seattle in the USA
This week, SWISS’ sister airline took off for the first time for Washington state’s largest city.
The flights will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Saturdays, until September 15th, 2025.
With the addition of Seattle, Edelweiss now flies directly from Zurich to four holiday destinations in the USA — Tampa Bay (Florida), Las Vegas, and Denver.
READ ALSO: All the new flights from Swiss airports in Spring 2025
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