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Church Exit: Calculate Tax Savings

How much church tax do you pay? Calculate the annual savings from leaving the church.

Membership in a church or religious community is a deeply personal decision -- it can provide support, community and meaning. This calculator looks exclusively at the financial side and is intended to help you assess the tax implications of an exit. Church tax is levied in most cantons as a percentage of the cantonal simple tax. When you exit, this tax is eliminated entirely. Depending on income and canton, the savings amount to several hundred to several thousand francs per year.

Related Calculators

Income Tax

Calculate your income and wealth tax (federal, cantonal, municipal) for any of the 2,100+ Swiss municipalities.

Marginal Tax Rate

Calculate your marginal tax rate -- how much tax does an additional franc of income cost?

Tax Comparison

Compare the tax burden between up to 10 Swiss municipalities.

How much is the church tax?

Church tax varies greatly by canton and municipality. Typically it is 5-15% of the cantonal simple tax (income and wealth tax). In Zurich, for example, the church tax multiplier is approximately 10%, in Basel-Stadt 8%. With a gross income of CHF 100,000 (single) in Zurich, this amounts to approximately CHF 400-500 per year.

How to exit

Church exit is possible in all cantons with a simple written declaration to the parish. The exit takes effect for tax purposes depending on the canton either at the beginning of the month or at the end of the calendar year. Important: In Geneva, Neuchatel and Ticino, church tax is voluntary (e.g. the 'contribution religieuse volontaire' in GE). There it is sufficient to no longer declare the church tax on the tax return -- a formal exit is not necessary.

What is lost?

With church exit you lose: - Church wedding (in some parishes still possible) - Baptism of own children (re-entry possible at any time) - Voting rights in the parish - Pastoral care and church counselling services Funeral and cemetery use are municipal matters in Switzerland -- not tied to denomination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do legal entities pay church tax?+
Can I re-enter?+
Does the partner's denomination matter?+