The Swiss authorities now have more options for monitoring internet and telephone data. Keystone / Matthias Balk
Pension reforms, stricter internet and telephone monitoring and more time for grieving parents: various legal changes came into force in Switzerland on January 1st. Here is a selection.
This content was published on January 3, 2024 – 1:00 p.m. January 3, 2024 – 1:00 p.m
Thomas Stephens
with material from Keystone-SDA
E-Autos: Electric cars are now subject to vehicle tax like other cars. The tax exemption for electrically powered vehicles that has been in effect since 1997 has been repealed.
This means that electric cars will be subject to the normal tax rate of 4% for vehicles used to transport people or goods.
The tax is levied on the import price and not on the selling price. Between 2018 and 2022, the number of electric cars imported annually rose from around 8,000 to over 45,000.
Breast cancer: Compulsory health insurance now covers the costs of preventive removal of breasts and ovaries for people with a hereditary risk (with certain high-risk genes). Previously, the two procedures were only reimbursed if two specific gene mutations were present.
Altersreform: The first part of the pension revision has come into force. Partial early withdrawal or partial deferral of pension is now possible for everyone and allows a gradual reduction in employment.
Anyone who works beyond the reference age can now choose whether they want to pay pension contributions on their entire income or not up to the exemption limit.
Film: Online and television services in Switzerland must invest 4% of their revenue in Swiss filmmaking and maintain a quota of at least 30% of European films. This is provided for by the so-called Lex Netflix, which the Swiss electorate approved in May 2022.
This means that local filmmakers and Switzerland as a film location will have an estimated additional 18 million francs available each year, primarily for series and audiovisual formats.
Internet: People living in Switzerland or with Swiss citizenship can now purchase a domain name with the ending .swiss. Even sole proprietorships without an entry in the commercial register, such as architects or craftsmen, can receive a .swiss domain name.
Climate: Large companies in Switzerland are required to publish a climate report. This applies to stock corporations, banks and insurance companies with at least 500 employees and a balance sheet total of at least 20 million francs or a turnover of over 40 million francs.
The reports must be publicly available for at least ten years. Companies must account for the financial risk they take with climate-related activities.
They must also disclose the impact of their activities on the climate. Finally, the reduction targets for direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions as well as the plans for implementation must be presented.
Consumer loans: The maximum interest rate for consumer loans will be increased from 11% to 12% for cash loans. The government is also increasing the maximum interest rate on overdrafts, such as credit cards, from 13% to 14%.
Corporate taxes: Large internationally active companies will be taxed in Switzerland at a rate of at least 15% from the tax year 2024. The government is thus implementing the minimum tax for certain companies agreed by the OECD and the G20 countries.
The minimum tax affects corporations that generate annual sales of more than 750 million euros (CHF 707 million) worldwide, which is around 1% of companies operating in Switzerland.
Kosovo nationals: Kosovars can enter the Schengen area without a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. The exemption from the visa requirement also applies to Switzerland. The prerequisite is possession of a biometric passport.
A visa is still required to take up employment in Switzerland.
Charging cable: The widely used USB-C standard introduces uniform charging protocols and interfaces for mobile phones and other wireless devices in Switzerland.
This also applies to other devices with wireless components such as tablets, digital cameras, laptops, headphones and e-readers.
Manufacturers must inform consumers on the packaging and in the accompanying information about the charging properties of the device and indicate whether a charger is included. They are also obliged to offer devices without a charger in their.
VAT: Consumption in Switzerland has become more expensive again. The VAT on goods and services will increase from 7.7% to 8.1%. The reduced rate for food increases from 2.5% to 2.6%.
Surveillance: Authorities have more options for monitoring internet and telephone data. Anonymous calls with bomb threats can be tracked more easily in Switzerland and people at risk can be found.
Law enforcement authorities should also be able to access the data more quickly. Until now, telecommunications service providers had one day to respond to a request from the authorities. This period is reduced to six hours.
Post: Swiss Post is increasing prices for letters and parcels. A and B Post letters are each 0.10 francs more expensive (1.20 and 1 francs respectively), Priority and Economy packages are 1.50 francs more expensive.
Deaths: If a parent dies after the birth of a child, the surviving parent is now entitled to longer maternity or paternity leave. If the child’s mother dies within 14 weeks of the child’s birth, the spouse is entitled to 14 weeks of leave in addition to the two weeks of paternity leave.
If the mother’s father or wife dies within six months of the birth of the child, the mother is also entitled to two additional weeks of vacation.
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2024-01-03 22:41:20
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