Swiss Crypto Wealth Tax Calculator
Calculate Your Annual Wealth Tax
Switzerland doesn't tax capital gains on crypto for private individuals. Instead, you pay an annual wealth tax on your total crypto holdings as of December 31st. The rate varies by canton.
Results
Switzerland doesnât tax your crypto profits - but it does tax your crypto holdings. Thatâs the key difference that makes Swiss crypto tax rules unique. If you own Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any other digital asset and live in Switzerland, you wonât pay capital gains tax when you sell. But every year, on December 31st, the government wants to know how much you own - and theyâll charge you a small percentage of it. This isnât about punishing success. Itâs about fairness. Everyone with wealth, whether in stocks, real estate, or crypto, pays a little each year. And for private investors, thatâs the only tax youâll ever pay on crypto.
How Switzerland Classifies Crypto
Switzerland doesnât treat crypto like money. It doesnât treat it like a currency. Instead, the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) calls it a kryptobasierte vermĂśgenswerte - crypto-based asset. That means itâs grouped with your stocks, bonds, and gold. This simple classification changes everything. Youâre not taxed when you trade. Youâre taxed on what you own at yearâs end. The FTA breaks crypto into three types: payment tokens (like Bitcoin and Litecoin), utility tokens (like those used to access a service), and security tokens (which act like shares). Payment tokens get the cleanest treatment. Theyâre included in your wealth tax but exempt from capital gains. Utility tokens vary - it depends on what they actually do. Security tokens? Theyâre treated like stocks. If youâre holding a token that gives you a share of profits or voting rights, itâs taxed like a dividend or capital gain if youâre a professional trader. This system isnât new. Itâs been stable since 2019, with updates in 2021 and again in late 2024. The government didnât create a new tax law for crypto. They just applied existing rules to a new asset class. Thatâs why the system feels predictable. No sudden changes. No new taxes on DeFi or staking. If itâs a holding, itâs wealth. If itâs income, itâs income.Valuing Your Crypto for Tax Purposes
You canât just guess how much your crypto is worth on December 31st. The FTA publishes official year-end prices for major coins: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. You must use those numbers. If you hold something obscure - say, a new DeFi token or a small altcoin - youâre on your own. You need to use the price from the exchange where you traded it last. If thatâs not available, you fall back to your original purchase price in Swiss francs. This is where most people struggle. Keeping records isnât optional. If you bought 0.5 BTC in 2020 for 10,000 CHF and itâs worth 50,000 CHF in 2025, you donât pay tax on the 40,000 CHF gain. But you do pay wealth tax on the full 50,000 CHF value. And if you donât have a receipt or a transaction history from your exchange? The tax office might accept your word - but they might also ask for proof. Many investors keep screenshots, export CSVs from exchanges, or use crypto tax software like Koinly to track everything automatically.How Much Wealth Tax Do You Actually Pay?
Thereâs no national wealth tax rate in Switzerland. Itâs set by each of the 26 cantons. That means your tax bill can vary wildly depending on where you live. In Zurich, you might pay 0.4% on your total wealth. In Geneva, it could be 0.8%. In some rural cantons, itâs as low as 0.2%. The average? Between 0.3% and 1%. Letâs say you have 100,000 CHF in crypto and live in Bern. Your wealth tax rate is 0.6%. You owe 600 CHF. Thatâs it. No tax when you sell. No tax when you swap one coin for another. No tax on staking rewards - unless theyâre classified as income. And if youâre not a professional trader? Even if your crypto goes up tenfold, you pay nothing on the gain. Only the annual wealth tax applies. This is why Switzerland is a magnet for crypto investors. In the U.S., you pay up to 37% capital gains tax. In Germany, you pay after one year. In France, itâs 30%. In Switzerland? Zero. Unless youâre trading like a bank.
Who Counts as a Professional Trader?
The big exception to the no-capital-gains rule is for professional traders. The FTA doesnât just look at how much you make. They look at how you trade. If youâre buying and selling crypto daily, using leverage, running a business around it, or earning most of your income from trading, youâre likely classified as a professional. That means your gains become taxable income - at your regular income tax rate. Income tax in Switzerland varies by canton and income level. Federal rates go up to 11.5%. Add cantonal and municipal taxes, and you could be paying 20-40% on your crypto profits. The line isnât always clear. Someone who trades once a month might be fine. Someone who trades every day? Not so much. The FTA uses Circular No. 36 to judge this. It looks at frequency, volume, leverage, and whether you treat trading like a job. If youâre not sure, talk to a Swiss tax advisor. Donât guess.What About Staking, Mining, and DeFi?
Staking rewards? If youâre just holding crypto and earning interest, itâs usually treated as wealth appreciation - not income. So you donât pay income tax on it. But you do include the increased value in your year-end wealth declaration. Mining is different. If youâre running hardware and selling the coins you mine, thatâs a business. You pay income tax on your profits. DeFi protocols? It depends. If youâre lending crypto and earning fees, thatâs income. If youâre just holding and earning yield, itâs wealth. The FTA clarified this in late 2024. No new rules. Just clearer guidance. The system is designed to be technology-neutral. A staking reward from Ethereum is treated the same as interest from a bank account. A mining operation is treated like a factory. The rules donât change because the tech does.
Why This System Works
Switzerland didnât try to control crypto. They didnât ban it. They didnât create a messy new tax code. They simply extended their existing wealth tax system - which has been around for over a century - to include digital assets. Thatâs why itâs so clean. Thereâs no confusion between capital gains and income. No complex holding periods. No penalties for holding too long. Just one simple rule: declare what you own on December 31st, pay a small percentage, and move on. Investors love it. Businesses love it. Even critics admit itâs smart. It encourages long-term holding. It rewards patience. It doesnât punish success. And because itâs consistent across cantons (with minor variations), itâs easy to plan around. The downside? Record-keeping. You need to track every purchase, every swap, every wallet address. If you use multiple exchanges, it gets messy. But compared to the chaos of capital gains taxes in other countries, itâs a breeze. You donât need to calculate profits on every trade. You just need to know your total value at yearâs end.What to Do Next
If youâre a crypto holder in Switzerland:- Know your cantonâs wealth tax rate.
- Use the FTAâs official year-end prices for major coins.
- For lesser-known tokens, use your exchangeâs price or original purchase cost.
- Keep records of all transactions - even if you think you wonât need them.
- Donât trade like a pro unless youâre ready to pay income tax.
- Consider moving to a canton with lower wealth tax if you have significant holdings.
Do I pay capital gains tax on crypto in Switzerland?
No, private individuals do not pay capital gains tax on cryptocurrency in Switzerland. Whether you make 1,000 CHF or 1 million CHF from selling Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any other crypto, you owe nothing - as long as youâre not classified as a professional trader. The only tax you pay is the annual wealth tax on your total holdings as of December 31st.
How is crypto valued for Swiss wealth tax?
The Swiss Federal Tax Administration (FTA) publishes official year-end prices for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. You must use these values. For other cryptocurrencies, use the price from the exchange where you traded them on December 31st. If no price is available, use your original purchase price in Swiss francs.
Whatâs the wealth tax rate on crypto in Switzerland?
Wealth tax rates vary by canton, ranging from 0.2% to 1% annually. Most cantons charge between 0.3% and 0.8%. Thereâs no federal wealth tax. Your rate depends entirely on where you live. Zurich and Geneva have higher rates; rural cantons are often lower.
Are staking rewards taxed in Switzerland?
Staking rewards are generally treated as wealth appreciation, not income. You donât pay income tax on them. But you must include the increased value of your crypto holdings in your year-end wealth declaration. If the reward is paid in a new token, its value at receipt becomes part of your taxable wealth.
Can I avoid wealth tax by moving my crypto to an exchange outside Switzerland?
No. Swiss wealth tax applies to all your assets worldwide, regardless of where theyâre held. Whether your crypto is on Coinbase, Kraken, or a hardware wallet in your basement, you must declare it. Swiss tax law follows the principle of worldwide taxation for residents. Hiding assets offshore doesnât work - and can lead to penalties.
Do I need to file a tax return if I only hold crypto and have no other income?
Yes. If youâre a Swiss tax resident and own assets above the minimum threshold (which varies by canton, usually around 50,000-100,000 CHF), you must file a tax return - even if you have no other income. Crypto holdings are included in your total wealth. Failure to declare can result in fines or back taxes with interest.
Nabil ben Salah Nasri
November 2, 2025 AT 03:41Switzerland just gets it đ I mean, no capital gains tax but still tax the holdings? Thatâs so smart-it rewards patience, not day-trading greed. I wish the US would adopt this instead of making us track every single trade like itâs a tax audit for nerds đ¤đ¸
alvin Bachtiar
November 2, 2025 AT 11:22Letâs be real-this isnât âfairness,â itâs regulatory inertia. Switzerland didnât innovate; they just slapped crypto into their 19th-century wealth tax framework and called it a day. The FTAâs official prices? Laughable. If you hold a token not on their list, youâre basically gambling with the taxman. And donât even get me started on âwealth appreciationâ for staking-thatâs just income by another name. đ¤¨
Josh Serum
November 3, 2025 AT 14:25Bro, if youâre holding crypto and not paying capital gains, youâre basically free-loading off the system. Everyone else pays taxes on their gains-why should you get a free pass? Itâs not âfairness,â itâs privilege. And donât tell me âitâs wealth taxâ-thatâs just the rich hiding behind bureaucracy. You think a guy in Bern paying 0.4% on 100k is really contributing? Nah. Heâs laughing all the way to the Caymans. đ
DeeDee Kallam
November 4, 2025 AT 03:07i just wanna know if i can use my phone screenshot of my binance balance as proof?? i dont wanna deal with all this tax stuff đ
Helen Hardman
November 5, 2025 AT 09:54Okay so let me just say-this is the most refreshing tax system Iâve ever seen in my entire life. I mean, think about it: in the US, youâre constantly doing math on every single trade, every swap, every little staking reward-itâs exhausting. But here? You just look at your portfolio on Dec 31st, add it up, pay a tiny percentage, and go live your life. No stress. No panic. No midnight Excel spreadsheets. Itâs like Switzerland said, âHey, we trust you. Youâre not a criminal.â And honestly? Thatâs the kind of trust that makes people want to stay and build. đąđ
Bhavna Suri
November 6, 2025 AT 03:52This system is too complicated. Why not just tax profits like everyone else? Why make people count coins and track prices? It is not fair for normal people. I do not understand.
Elizabeth Melendez
November 7, 2025 AT 21:54OMG I JUST REALIZED-this is why so many crypto folks are moving to Switzerland!! Iâve been using Koinly for years and I never thought about how much simpler itâd be if I didnât have to calculate capital gains on every single trade. Just declare your total value once a year? YES PLEASE. Iâm seriously considering a move-maybe even to Zug. Iâve got a friend who lives there and she says the coffee is amazing and the tax forms are like 3 pages max đ
Phil Higgins
November 8, 2025 AT 08:40The elegance of this system lies not in its novelty, but in its restraint. Switzerland didnât attempt to legislate the future; it extended the past. Wealth tax, as a concept, predates digital assets by centuries-it was designed to capture static value, not speculative motion. By refusing to reclassify crypto as income unless itâs actively traded, they preserve the integrity of both the tax code and the asset class. This isnât a loophole-itâs a philosophy. One that honors time over velocity. And in a world obsessed with speed, thatâs radical.
Genevieve Rachal
November 8, 2025 AT 16:30Letâs not pretend this is âfair.â Itâs a tax haven dressed up as policy. The âofficial pricesâ? A joke. And âwealth appreciationâ for staking? Thatâs income. Plain and simple. The FTA is just letting people hide behind semantics. Meanwhile, regular workers pay 20-30% on every paycheck. This isnât innovation-itâs exploitation by the elite. And donât tell me âitâs for long-term holdersâ-thatâs just code for âthe rich get richer, quietly.â
Eli PINEDA
November 10, 2025 AT 06:56wait so if i buy eth on coinbase and then send it to my ledger⌠do i still have to declare it? and what if i use a non-swiss exchange? iâm so confused lol
Debby Ananda
November 12, 2025 AT 01:12Switzerlandâs system is the only one that respects intellectual capital. đ§ đ Other countries treat crypto like gambling. Here, itâs treated like art-held, appreciated, not liquidated for tax arbitrage. I mean, really⌠if youâre going to be a visionary, shouldnât you be rewarded for patience? Not punished for it? This isnât tax avoidance. Itâs tax elevation.
Vicki Fletcher
November 13, 2025 AT 11:22so i have like 3 wallets and 4 exchanges⌠do i need to export all the csvs? or can i just use the total from cointracker? and what if one exchange doesnât give me a year-end price? iâm so overwhelmed đ
Nadiya Edwards
November 14, 2025 AT 21:50They call it âfairnessâ? Thatâs what they want you to think. But letâs be honest-this system was designed for white, wealthy Europeans who already have offshore accounts. The average person doesnât even know what a âcantonal tax rateâ is. And now theyâre acting like this is some kind of moral victory? Itâs just another way for the rich to hide. And donât get me started on âworldwide taxationâ-thatâs just global policing with a Swiss accent.
Ron Cassel
November 15, 2025 AT 10:07THEYâRE LYING. The FTA doesnât really use those official prices-theyâre just a front. The real system? They track your IP addresses, your exchange logins, your wallet transactions through blockchain analysis. They know everything. And if you donât declare? Theyâll come for you. Iâve seen it happen. They donât care if youâre âjust a holder.â Theyâll freeze your accounts, seize your assets, and call you a tax evader. This isnât freedom-itâs a trap.
Malinda Black
November 16, 2025 AT 21:15For anyone feeling overwhelmed by the record-keeping-donât panic. Start small. Export one exchangeâs history. Use a free tool like Koinly or CoinTax. Even if you only do 80% of it, youâre better off than 0%. And if youâre unsure about your classification? Talk to a tax advisor whoâs worked with crypto holders before. You donât need to be perfect-you just need to be proactive. Youâve got this đŞ
ISAH Isah
November 17, 2025 AT 11:05Chris Strife
November 18, 2025 AT 01:54Mehak Sharma
November 20, 2025 AT 01:15Switzerlandâs approach is brilliant because it aligns with the essence of wealth-not its movement, but its existence. Crypto isnât money, itâs property. And property has always been taxed through valuation, not transaction. The FTA didnât bend to crypto-they elevated the system to meet it. Staking? Itâs interest. Mining? Itâs labor. Trading? Itâs commerce. No new categories needed. Just clarity. And in a world drowning in complexity, clarity is the ultimate luxury.
Josh Serum
November 21, 2025 AT 05:46Wait, so if I live in Zurich and move to Appenzell, I save hundreds? Thatâs insane. Why isnât everyone doing this? Iâm selling my apartment and buying a cabin in the Alps just to cut my tax bill. đď¸đ¸