The Canton of Obwalder created a stir by voting for a tax system that rewards more productive residents with a lower income tax rate. The Swiss Federal Court has ruled against this regime, though the nation’s Finance Ministry quickly noted that the decision does not undermine Switzerland’s support for federalism and tax competition. Swissinfo.org reports:
Canton Obwalden’s degressive tax system, aimed at attracting wealthy residents, has been ruled unconstitutional by the Swiss Federal Court. The country’s highest court said on Friday that degressive income taxes ran counter to constitutional measures designed to ensure taxation according to economic performance. …Obwalden had adopted a degressive income tax system which meant that the richer you are, the less you pay. Those earning over SFr300,000 ($233,000) per year, for example, had a tax rate as low as one per cent. It was introduced in 2006 following a cantonal vote as a way of boosting the fortunes of Obwalden, one of the poorest cantons located in Switzerland’s mountainous centre. …Friday’s court ruling comes in response to a case brought by Communist parliamentarian Josef Zisyadis – who moved to Obwalden to oppose the tax charges… The Finance Ministry said that the court’s decision would neither change the system of tax competition between the cantons nor encourage tax harmonisation. It emphasised that federalism and tax competition were essential parts of Swiss identity that also made the country more attractive for foreign companies.
