Whether you’re new to investing or already have some experience under your belt, critically assessing your choice of broker is always important. Different brokers have different fee structures, provide access to different financial products, and come along with different tax implications. Are Swiss brokers a good choice? What are other options? Let’s find out. Stay…Continue readingWhy to stay away from Swiss brokers
Author: AverageBoy
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Choosing your ETF funds
Is your investment strategy clear? Do you have a long investment horizon? Are you confident that you have the risk tolerance to invest in equities? If the answer to these questions is yes, you’re ready to choose your equity ETF funds. This entry aims to help you find the right ones. Before you start This…Continue readingChoosing your ETF funds
An efficient ETF portfolio will help you build net worth faster. There are many attributes to look at when choosing an ETF. Examples are tracking index, TER, fund size, bid-ask spread, domicile and legal aspects (e.g. UCITS). This entry focuses on yet another important consideration: the choice of accumulating vs distributing ETFs. Accumulating vs distributing…Continue readingAccumulating vs distributing ETFs
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Common tax misconceptions
There’s a first time for everything. Also to learn about taxes. The world of taxes is big, and it’s normal to have knowledge gaps. Especially if you’re getting started. This entry demystifies common tax misconceptions. Tax misconceptions #1: The difference between average and marginal tax rate This is not necessarily a misconception, but rather a…Continue readingCommon tax misconceptions
Almost there! This is the closing theme of the tax declaration guide (and of the tax filing process). It literally deals with ‘closing’ (Abschluss). Most likely you won’t have much to do here. Overseas taxesSteuerausscheidung Let’s first clarify the title of this form. Ausscheidung seems to be a technical term that describes the tax split…Continue readingTax declaration guide (6/6): Abschluss
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Tax declaration guide (5/6): Vermögen
This entry of the tax declaration guide covers property and capital (Vermögen). This is the fifth theme of the tax filing process. I encourage you (again) to check this out if you want to know more about wealth taxes in Switzerland. Real estateLiegenschaften You must declare the value of all your properties, including those in…Continue readingTax declaration guide (5/6): Vermögen
The fourth theme in the tax filing process deals with securities (Wertschriften). Both securities and cash in bank accounts belong here. This means pretty much everybody has something to declare in this theme. We’ll cover all forms in detail as part of the tax declaration guide. What you declare under Wertschriften potentially makes you liable…Continue readingTax declaration guide (4/6): Wertschriften
This is the third and final entry of the tax declaration guide on tax deductions. We’ll cover all forms in ‘other deductions’ (Sonstige Abzüge). These are: Charitable donationsGemeinnützige Zuwendungen Illness and accident costsKrankheits- und Unfallkosten Disability related costsBehinderungsbedingte Kosten Additional deductionsWeitere Abzüge Charitable donationsGemeinnützige Zuwendungen You can deduct donations if they exceed CHF 100. My…Continue readingTax declaration guide (3/6): Abzüge [3/3]
This is the second out of three entries of the tax declaration guide on tax deductions. We’ll cover: Out-of-pocket expenses for part-time jobsNebenerwerbskosten Interests on debtSchuldzinsen Alimonies and pensions to othersUnterhalt und renten Pillar 3aSäule 3a Insurance premiumsVersicherungsprämien Work-oriented education/coursesBerufsorientierte Aus- und Weiterbildung Expenses for part-time jobsNebenerwerbskosten You can use this form to deduct out-of-pocket…Continue readingTax declaration guide (3/6): Abzüge [2/3]
The third theme in the tax declaration process gives you the option to list tax deductions. Tax deductions (Abzüge) bring down your taxable income, effectively helping you pay less taxes. If you’re not familiar with how tax deductions work, I encourage you to have a look at this post. This tax declaration guide will cover…Continue readingTax declaration guide (3/6): Abzüge [1/3]