Expert reveals tax refund tips: These mistakes will cost you thousands of francs

If you travel to work by train, bus or tram, you can deduct the actual cost of your subscription. Drivers are at a slight disadvantage: You can only claim driving costs under certain conditions. For example, if your place of residence is poorly connected to public transport, you need your private car during working hours, or it takes much longer to commute to work using public transport. “In many cantons this applies to a difference of one hour per day, in some more,” says VZ Vermögenszentrum tax expert Markus Stoll (51). The maximum deduction for travel expenses from federal taxes is 3,200 francs. At cantonal and municipal level this figure is often higher: up to 6,700 francs in Bern, for example.

You can claim deduction for each minor or child in education. In the case of direct federal tax, this is 6,600 francs per child. 9,000 francs in the canton of Zurich, 18,600 francs in Zug for children aged 15 and over. As the child grows, the cost of care for parents also increases. This is why many cantons allow higher education deductions for older children. “That’s why it’s so important to find out the maximum possible deduction in your canton,” says Stoll. St. In St. Gallen, this amount increases from 7,200 francs to a maximum of 13,000 francs.

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You can deduct paid child care directly from your federal tax up to a maximum of 25,000. There are currently big differences between cantons. Geneva or St. In St. Gallen you can also deduct up to 25,000 francs per child for external care. In some cantons such as Valais, Lucerne or Zug there is also a self-care cut. There is also a so-called second income deduction at the federal level and in most cantons.

If you receive training or further education that is directly related to your job or a future job, you can deduct it from your taxes. You can only claim expenses you incurred yourself. Initial training is excluded from this. At the federal level, your maximum deduction is 12,700 francs. There are differences at the cantonal level: “In many cantons, such as Bern or Zurich, up to 12,000 francs can be claimed,” says Stoll. There is no upper limit for self-employed individuals.

“The survey helps parents accurately report child deductions or child support when filing online tax returns,” says Stoll. In principle, if you live separately and share custody, both parents can claim half of the child tax deduction for minors, provided there are no child support payments. The parents can stop this after paying the child support. This includes dental expenses or music lessons. The other parent must pay child support tax and can declare the full flat-rate child tax deduction for this. However, child support payments for adult children are no longer deductible, but the child does not have to pay taxes on those payments.

If you own your own home, all maintenance and renovation costs are deductible. Value-enhancing investments are excluded from this. However, you can deduct investments in energy-saving measures. “If these exceed taxable income in the application year, the costs are deductible for up to three tax periods,” says Stoll. You can also claim interest on your debts. If you own your own home, you can choose between a flat-rate deduction or actual costs. “If you own a condominium, the renovation fund is also deductible,” says Stoll.

If you work all day, you can deduct the meals you buy from your taxes. This is the case if your workplace is far enough away from your home or your short lunch break does not allow you to eat at home. “Most cantons are generous in their interpretation of the criteria,” says Stoll. It is possible to make a deduction even if the place of residence and place of work are the same. The maximum deduction for a full-time position is 3,200 francs. If you eat a discounted meal at the canteen, you can only deduct half.

There are no work-related deductions for retirees. Payment to the third column is no longer possible. It would be useful for retirees to check whether they can withdraw their retirement funds as a pension or as a lump sum payment. A one-time tax is applied at a reduced rate on capital withdrawals. “For purely tax reasons it is better to withdraw capital. However, decisions should not be made based on tax consequences. “But for households with lower pensions there is no guarantee of a clearly calculable monthly income,” says Stoll.

You can claim health insurance premiums for basic and supplementary insurance using the general flat-rate deduction – this also includes life or pension insurance premiums. “The fixed insurance rate for working single people with a pension fund connection or contributions to Pillar 3a is 1,800 francs; for married people the rate is double,” says Stoll. Self-paid medical expenses are also deductible. These include, for example, deductibles for health insurance, dental visits or glasses. In most cantons this applies as soon as it exceeds five percent of net income. Disability-related expenses can be deducted from the first franc.