Two popular initiatives against discrimination against married people
Published: Wednesday, Mar 27th 2024, 12:10
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Married couples should no longer be discriminated against compared to unmarried couples when it comes to taxes and AHV pensions. This is the demand of two popular initiatives submitted by the Center Party on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the controversial issue of individual taxation is at the top of the political agenda.
The two popular initiatives entitled "Yes to fair taxes" and "Yes to fair AHV pensions" aim to correct the injustice. They were submitted in Bern on Wednesday with 102,355 and 105,931 certified signatures respectively, as the center party wrote.
Married and registered couples have to pay more in federal tax compared to cohabiting couples. According to the federal government, around 454,000 two-earner couples and 250,000 pensioner couples were affected by this so-called marriage penalty in 2019.
As early as 1984, the Federal Supreme Court ruled that tax discrimination against married and registered couples compared to cohabiting couples was unconstitutional. The abolition of the "marriage penalty" has been a political issue for years.
The centrist initiative now demands that married couples be presented with an alternative tax bill for federal tax in addition to the joint tax bill, based on the rate and deductions for unmarried couples. The couple would have to pay the lower amount. The center wants to maintain the principle of joint taxation.
"Marriage penalty" should also be removed from AHV
The "marriage penalty" should also be removed from the AHV: married couples do not currently receive one AHV pension per head, but together receive a maximum of one and a half times the maximum pension. Couples without a marriage certificate, on the other hand, receive two pensions. With the second initiative, the center wants a reduction in pensions for married couples to be prohibited.
At the top of the Federal Council and parliament's agenda, however, is the controversial individual taxation. According to the bill passed by the Federal Council in February, the income and assets of married couples are to be divided according to their circumstances under civil law, as is already the case for unmarried couples.
Individual taxation is planned at all levels of government. With regard to direct federal tax, the Federal Council is assuming an estimated shortfall in revenue of around CHF 1 billion per year based on 2024. Of this, the federal government will bear around CHF 800 million and the cantons will bear around CHF 200 million. Parliament has to decide next.
However, the majority of political parties rejected individual taxation. The radical restructuring of the system would create new injustices, was the tenor of the consultation. Only the FDP, GLP and the business community supported the proposal. It is hoped that with individual taxation, more married people will take up gainful employment or increase their workload.
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