Legal Tax Optimization for Employees: Seven Levers That Work
Pillar 3a, buy-ins, deductions and timing: the main ways employees lower their tax bill legally.
5 min read · Salary & Tax
Life situations: Starting a job
Switzerland offers many legal ways to lower tax. The biggest effects come from a few levers.
The main levers
- Pay into pillar 3a every year.
- Buy into the pension fund if you have a gap.
- Claim commuting, meals and training costs.
- Deduct childcare and donations.
- Check medical costs and interest on debts.
- Time large deductions in high-income years.
- Choose a municipality with a lower tax rate when you move.
Example with default values. Open the calculator →
Know your marginal rate
A deduction is worth your marginal rate. At 30 %, a CHF 5,000 deduction saves CHF 1,500. Use your canton's calculator to find your rate.
Keep it legal and documented
Keep receipts and declare all income and assets. See the effect of a deduction with the tax saving calculator.
Try it yourself: Tax Saving From a Deduction
Change any input and the result updates instantly. Nothing you enter is sent to a server.
Estimated tax savingCHF 2'032
- Net cost after tax saving
- CHF 5'226
- Saving as % of amount
- 28.00 %