Reduce the tax exemption to 50 francs: farmers want shopping tourists to touch their wallets

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

It is a simple stamp, but for shopping tourists in Konstanz (D) it is worth the money. Anyone who buys goods for less than 300 francs in Germany today can reclaim the German VAT of 19 percent – up to this amount they do not have to pay Swiss tax.

In November last year, Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter (60) announced that she would halve the exemption limit, i.e. reduce it to 150 francs. Parliament had instructed her to do so.

Retailers want to reduce prices even further

Resistance has now emerged during the consultation – in which parties and associations can give their opinion on the proposal. The halving is not enough for retailers and farmers’ associations. They want the limit to be lowered even further, to 50 francs per person per day. VAT should therefore be due on this amount. “Today, the legislator is giving the wrong incentives and is still encouraging shopping tourism,” criticizes Dagmar Jenni, director of the Association of Retail Companies, in the CH Media newspapers.

And the farmers’ association under president Markus Ritter (56) writes that the advantage of a reduction to 150 francs is small: if four people go to France and do their shopping there for 500 francs, they will still get the VAT back because “for a vehicle at four persons, the limit of the value exemption would be four times 150, so a total of 600 francs.

The farmers point to foreign countries: “In Germany, VAT is reimbursed from 50 euros, in Austria from 75 euros and in France from 100 euros.” They therefore demand that Switzerland adapt to the lowest exemption limit: Germany.

Price monitoring against reduction

Criticism of Keller-Sutter’s proposal also comes from price monitor Stefan Meierhans (55) – albeit from the other direction. He thinks the reduction to 150 francs is wrong. It would hardly have a significant impact on shopping tourism; VAT cannot compensate for the enormous price differences, says a spokeswoman.

Shopping tourists can save a lot on a shopping trip in Konstanz or Weil am Rhein (D). But Swiss retailers don’t have the money. According to a study, Swiss people bought a total of 8.5 billion francs abroad in 2022. After the consultation in mid-March, the Federal Council led by Finance Minister Keller-Sutter will decide whether and by how much the VAT exemption limit will be reduced. (brother)

Source:Blick