Federal and environmental taxes
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Federal and environmental taxes
"Federal Taxes" include:
- The CO2 incentive tax levied on fossil fuels (e.g. heating oil and natural gas) and the tax on volatile organic compounds VOCs (e.g. metal cleaning products, paints and varnishes). These taxes, the amount of which may vary each year, are redistributed to the population in the form of a deduction on the compulsory health insurance premiums, as required by the Swiss health authorities.
- The "contribution to health promotion", which finances, for example, the institution of disease prevention, supported by insurers and cantons. This contribution is required by the Law on Health Insurance (LAMal/KVG) and amounts to CHF 4.80 per person per year. The amount, i.e. CHF 0.40 per month, is deducted from the compulsory health insurance premiums.
Environmental taxes are not intended to generate revenue for the state. That is why the Swiss Parliament has decided to redistribute the revenue from these taxes to the population in equal amounts.
Since basic health insurance is the only entity that affects the entire Swiss population, it was decided that the distribution of the revenue from environmental taxes to the citizens would be carried out through this channel. However, environmental taxes have no connection with health insurance and its funding.
Anyone domiciled in Switzerland and subject to compulsory health insurance under LAMal/KVG is entitled to the redistribution of the environmental taxes.
Newborns or the persons arriving from abroad during the course of the year are entitled to the redistribution of the taxes as soon as they join a health insurance company. However, persons who are subject to compulsory health insurance in Switzerland but who are legally resident abroad are not entitled to it.
Yes, because the environmental taxes are not linked to your health insurance premium. If you are receiving subsidies to cover your entire premium, the environmental taxes will be refunded to you in the form of a credit note.
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