Taxes on bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in Switzerland

Do residents of Switzerland have to pay tax on cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum? How are these taxed? How should I declare assets and transactions in my Swiss tax return?

Hi there,

In Switzerland, cryptocurrencies have to be accounted for in your taxable wealth.

To simplify this process, the Federal Tax Administration publishes official prices applicable to cryptocurrencies for the purpose of taxation. These can be found under: https://www.ictax.admin.ch/extern/de.html

Unfortunately, the lists only include the official year-end prices of the most popular cryptocurrencies (like bitcoin BTC). For all other cryptocurrencies, you will have to record the year-end price yourself. In every case, all cryptocurrency coins you hold must be included in your taxable wealth declaration.

The way in which cryptocurrencies must be entered into your tax returns varies between cantons. Typically, they must be listed in the securities declaration. Consider asking your cantonal tax office about where to enter your cryptocurrency declarations.

Income tax is more complicated. You do not normally need to declare capital gains, but this only applies if you are not classified as a professional investor.

Best regards from Moneyguru

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