🇨🇭 The Complete Crypto Tax Guide for Switzerland (2025)

📌 Introduction

Switzerland is widely known as a friendly tax environment for both its citizens and wealthy individuals around the world, with clear tax rules and favorable treatment for all types of investments, including cryptocurrency and digital assets. Crypto is considered a form of private wealth (like cash or shares of stock) in Switzerland, and how it’s taxed depends on whether you're classified as a private individual or a professional trader.

• Regulatory Authority: Federal Tax Administration (FTA) and cantonal tax offices for each of Switzerland’s 26 cantons.

• Classification: Cryptocurrencies are treated as movable assets.

• Scope of this Guide: Covers buying, selling, mining, staking, airdrops, DeFi, and more for both private individuals and self-employed/professionals.

📅 Reporting and Deadlines

• Tax Year: January 1 – December 31.

• Filing Deadline: Typically March 31 of the following year, with extensions available until September.

• Filing Platforms: Varies depending on your canton (e.g., Zurich uses ZHprivateTax, others use TaxMe, etc.)

• Reporting Forms: Standard income and wealth tax declaration forms; crypto must be listed under securities or other movable assets.

💼 Crypto Tax Basics

Private investors are not taxed on their capital gains in Switzerland, but professional traders are. Here is the breakdown of every type of taxable crypto transaction in Switzerland:

✅ Taxable Transactions

• Selling or swapping crypto:

  • Private investors: Not taxed on capital gains.

  • Professional traders: Taxed as income.

• Using crypto for purchases: Treated as disposal of an asset; may be taxable for professionals unless it is a business expense and can be deducted.

• Earning crypto (mining, staking, airdrops): Taxed as income.

🚫 Non-Taxable Transactions

• Buying crypto with fiat.

• Transferring crypto between wallets you own.

• Receiving small gifts of crypto: Subject to cantonal gift tax rules, often with high thresholds. Look up the gift laws in your specific canton.

📉 Deducting Losses

• Private individuals cannot deduct crypto losses since they are not taxed on capital gains anyway.

• Professional traders may be able to deduct losses as business expenses.

• No formal carryforward of crypto losses for private individuals.

📊 Key Allowances and Thresholds

• Wealth tax exemption: Varies by canton (e.g., Zurich: ~CHF 100,000 per person).

• Income tax-free thresholds: Varies; nationwide, the first CHF 17,800 (approx.) is generally tax-free for individuals.

🇨🇭 Unique Tax Laws

• Wealth Tax: Switzerland is one of the few countries with an annual wealth tax, and crypto must be declared (alongside other assets) based on end-of-year fair market value in Swiss francs. The wealth tax rate varies depending on your canton and total net wealth. Individuals usually pay between 0.1-1%.

💸 Income Tax Brackets (Federal Rates for 2025)

One feature of the Swiss tax system is notably lower income taxes than most other countries, across all brackets. Switzerland’s progressive income tax system includes four main brackets, the highest of which is just 75,000 CHF.

Note: Cantonal and municipal taxes stack on top of federal rates, leading to total rates between ~20–45% depending on location.

📈 Capital Gains Tax on Crypto

🧾 Taxable Events

• Private capital gains: Not taxed.

• Professional trading: Gains taxed as income.

🧮 Calculation Method

• Private individuals: No tax; just report end-of-year value for wealth tax.

• Professionals:

  • Determine net profits (sales minus acquisition cost).

  • No specific holding period tax benefit.

  • Taxed at personal income tax rate.

💰 Income Tax on Cryptocurrency

💵 Taxable Income Sources

• Mining: Taxed as self-employment income.

• Staking, liquidity pools: Treated as income from movable assets.

• Airdrops: Counted as income at fair market value.

• Crypto payments: If received as salary or compensation, taxed as employment/self-employment income.

🧮 Calculation Method

• Use the market value in CHF at the time of receipt.

• Subtract any directly related business expenses (for professionals).

• Apply progressive tax rate (federal + cantonal).

🔍 Tax Treatment of Specific Crypto Transactions

🛠 Mining and Staking

• Mining: Self-employed activity, subject to income and social security tax.

• Staking: Taxed as income based on the fair market value upon receipt; sale later may also trigger gain/loss reporting for professionals.

🎁 Airdrops and Hard Forks

• Airdrops: Subject to income tax at fair market value at the time received.

• Hard forks: Often taxed based on value at the time of access.

🖼 NFTs

• Collectors: NFT sales are not taxed if private.

• Creators: Sales are taxed as self-employment income.

🌐 DeFi Activities

• Interest or yield from DeFi: Taxed as income.

• Token swaps: May trigger income tax if you’re classified as a professional.

🔐 Lost or Stolen Crypto

• Losses are not deductible for private investors.

• May be deductible for professionals if adequately documented and reported.

🎁 Gifting and Inheritance

• Gifts: Subject to cantonal gift tax, often exempt for close relatives.

• Inheritance: Typically exempt for direct descendants/spouse, varies by canton.

🧾 Using Crypto Tax Software

Crypto tax software can significantly reduce your workload in calculating and reporting your taxes in Switzerland. Good crypto tax software handles editing, labeling, and calculating under the hood, so you don’t have to.

• Why use it: Simplifies tracking and ensures you meet documentation obligations

• Look for:

  • Swiss franc (CHF) conversion

  • Wealth tax support

  • Support for DeFi/NFTs

• Compatible Tools: Accointing, CoinTracking, Koinly (Swiss support varies)

• Export: Must be able to produce reports for cantonal and federal filing systems

💡 Reducing Crypto Taxes Legally

• Private investing: No capital gains tax is a huge benefit for Swiss citizens investing in crypto.

• Choosing LSTs rather than staking with a validator. LSTs do not incur reward transactions, so by owning an LST, you won’t owe taxes on staking rewards.

• Classify carefully: Stay within the bounds of a private investor to avoid being labeled a professional.

• Long-term holding: Even though there is technically no distinction between long-term and short-term gains, keeping your trading activity to a minimum by holding your assets for the long term helps maintain non-taxable status.

• Tax loss harvesting: Not available to private individuals, but professionals may use it.

• Use allowances: Track wealth to stay under cantonal thresholds.

✅ Conclusion

Switzerland provides one of the most favorable crypto tax environments in the world—if you qualify as a private investor. However, clear and consistent reporting is essential, especially with wealth tax obligations and income from mining or staking.

Be sure to:

• Track every transaction and its value in CHF.

• Declare all crypto holdings on your annual wealth declaration.

• Consult your cantonal tax office or a qualified Swiss tax advisor for personalized guidance.

Visit the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (FTA) website for more detailed information.

This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Always consult with a tax professional for your specific situation.