The newly approved individual taxation for married couples faces a new challenge; and more Swiss news in our Wednesday roundup.
Individual taxation of married couples is being challenged
After years in limbo, the individual taxation of married people received the majority’s support in the parliament on June 3rd.
But while this measure would bring financial relief to many couples, not everyone believes the new system is a good idea.
The Conference of Cantonal Finance Directors (FDK) recommended on Tuesday that the cantonal governments launch referendums against this move.
The reason, the FDK said, is that individual taxation will lead to more complex procedure for taxpayers and authorities.
It will also create inequalities between one-earner and two-earner couples, and place a high burden on public budgets.
The supply of cash gets a green light to be enshrined in the Constitution
In Switzerland, the supply of cash must be guaranteed, and the national currency is the Swiss franc. MPs decided to amend the Constitution accordingly.
The original idea to this effect was submitted in 2023 by the Swiss Movement for Freedom, which demanded that any plan to replace the franc with another currency be put to a referendum.
The Federal Council, however, rejected the initiative, deeming it too imprecise, but recognised the importance of cash for the economy and society, launching its own counter-proposal to that effect, which the parliament approved on Tuesday.
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Elon Musk’s Space X wants to install antennas in a Valais village
No longer involved in American politics, the former top member of President Trump’s administration currently has his eye on Switzerland.
More concretely, on a small Valais community of Leuk, where SpaceX wants to set up 40 antennas to relay starlink satellities — “a major ground station in the global network.”
Leuk’s residents have until June 28th to submit any objections to this project, but the town’s mayor, Alain Bregy, is enthusiastic about this prospect.
“Leuk doesn’t have many businesses and SpaceX’s taxes will boost our economy,” he said.
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Swiss people like their banks, but not low interest rates
This is what the annual satisfaction survey of banks conducted by the online comparison service Moneyland revealed.
About 1,500 customers were questioned about how they feel about their banks and which services are most important to them.
The financial institution’s security scored highest — 8.2 out of 10 points. Online banking (8 points) and the friendliness of the staff (7.9 points) are also important considerations,
The lowest score, on the other hand, was given to interest rates for savings accounts and fixed-term deposits (6.4 points), as well as fees and management costs (6.9 points).
As for favourite banks, Neon received the highest overall score (8.3 points), while Cembra scored the lowest (7.3 points).
READ ALSO: What are the ‘cheapest’ online banks in Switzerland in 2025?
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