Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Swiss Voters Overwhelmingly Reject Super-Rich Inheritance Tax and Universal Citizen Service

The results follow government plus party calls for rejection after warnings about costs, competitiveness, capital flight.

Overview

  • Final tallies and SRF counts show roughly 78–80% voted against the inheritance tax and about 84% against the citizen-service plan, with both also failing the cantonal majority requirement.
  • The Juso initiative sought a 50% federal levy on inheritances and gifts above 50 million francs to fund climate measures, a threshold affecting an estimated 2,500 ultra-wealthy taxpayers.
  • The Federal Council, most parliamentary parties, and major business groups urged No votes, citing risks of wealthy emigration and potentially lower overall tax revenue.
  • The Service-Citoyen proposal would have made paid national service compulsory for young women and men in military or civilian roles, which opponents said would strain budgets and the labor market; only GLP and EVP backed it.
  • In the aftermath, billionaire Alfred Gantner urged debate on a progressive wealth tax as a more moderate alternative to the defeated inheritance measure.