Abolish marriage punishment? SRF arena for individual taxation

Tax reform should abolish marriage punishment

In Switzerland, all people – including married people – will be taxed individually in the future. This is how the indirect counter-proposal to the so-called “tax right to initiative” is launched by the FDP women.

FDP women’s president Bettina Balmer describes her experience in collecting signatures in the show. People had partly stuck on the street to sign – she had never experienced anything like this. For many, the abolition of the marriage penalty is an urgent concern.

Fischer calls the template a « bureaucratic nonsense ». Married couples would have to fill out two separate tax returns in the future – according to his information, around 1.7 million additional tax dossiers would be created and around 1,000 to 1500 other tax commissioners would be necessary to check them.

For SP national councilor Celine Widmer, individual taxation is still the most convincing model-also because it is more than just an administrative effort. She makes it clear: « Our tax system is unfair and disadvantaged women. »

According to Widmer, this injustice must finally be remedied. The income of wives is actually considered an appendix to the merit of their husbands. This must finally be adjusted in 2025. According to Widmer, this is a piece of the puzzle on the way to an actual equality between men and women.

The accusation that it is « bureaucratic nonsense » rejects the SP national councilor and says what the middle would suggest that it is bureaucracy. She also refers to the argument of Fischer. The reform of the reform does not need more than 1000 tax commissioners. This number is no longer up to date.

Middle representative Karin Stadelmann also comments on the bureaucratic additional effort. In her opinion, it is clear: With the introduction of individual taxation, additional effort will result – after all, two tax returns would have to be checked in the future.

Widmer’s statement comments on Fischer with « disproportionate ». He is concerned with who benefits from the reform and who is not. As an example, he mentions a mechanical engineer with three children who are looked after by his wife at home. In such a case, according to Fischer, the family would be worse through individual taxation. Only couples with almost the same income would benefit – everyone else would be disadvantaged.

Widmer and Balmer react with shaking their heads. They contradict them: there are other numbers.

Moderator Grossniklaus provides facts: For example, a couple would lose a couple in whom only one person – often the man – brings their income home. Traditional family models would therefore be disadvantaged, according to his conclusion.

SP national councilor Celine Widmer replies: The so-called earning model is now an exception. Only 2.2 percent of households in Switzerland still lived in this constellation. In addition, this model in particular disadvantage women – for example with regard to retirement provision. Individual taxation can counteract and prevent old -age poverty in women, says Widmer.

Both sides rely on different numbers. FDP politician Balmer is surprised: « I am amazed where these numbers come from. »

The data situation is open to the public – whoever benefits and who does not benefit are clearly visible. SVP representative Fischer describes Balmer’s statement as « ridiculous ».

Traditional against modern family model

SVP National Councilor Benjamin Fischer comes to the institution marriage. Perhaps it is ultimately an ideological question, but it is clear to him: « I still believe in marriage – and for me it is an economic community. »

Widmer replies that individual taxation does not make marriage more unattractive – on the contrary: it even strengthens it. FDP politician Balmer also emphasizes that it is about a fundamental socio-political question. Because: « The woman must not be the attachment of the man-we no longer live in the 1950s. »

Middle representative Karin Stadelmann points out that individual taxation only really solves the problem if both partners worked and earned in a similar way. But that does not correspond to the reality of many families. Often one parent – mostly the man – brings the larger part of the income home. At the same time, women are excellently trained today, and this development will increasingly change the traditional structure. She thinks: « It needs fairness in the tax system, and we don’t have it for certain family models. »

Widmer accuses Mitte and SVP to stick to a family model that no longer fits into today’s time. FDP politician Bettina Balmer is pleased that the SP believes in the progressive family picture-and does not cling to the traditional role model. Balmer thinks: « There used to be the marriage bonus – maybe today it would be time to reward those who go to work. »