top of page
"I couldn’t help but wonder: how complicated is the Swiss tax system really…?"
Welcome to Tax and the City – the blog and podcast from taxum AG, your personal tax boutique in the heart of Zurich.
This is about something that affects us all, but that few people really like to talk about: taxes. Easy to understand, relevant to everyday life, and with a touch of humor - for reading and listening.
Whether you’re an expat just arriving in Switzerland or a self-employed individual navigating issues like AHV, VAT, and tax returns - we bring clarity to complex questions. Without complicated jargon. Instead, with professionalism, style, and genuine expertise.
It’s now also available as a podcast - personal, clear, and to the point.
Tax and the City stands for personalized service rather than anonymity, and for a boutique approach rather than mass processing.
Because we believe that good tax advice doesn’t have to be dry. It should be relevant - and to the point. Whether it’s on our blog or in our podcast, the main thing is that it sticks.
You can listen to the podcast here
Search
RSUs and Vesting – What No One Tells You About the Tax Impact with Willem Roux and Bastian Thurneysen
RSUs can look simple until they vest and the tax bill arrives. In this episode of Tax and the City, Julia Tatje, Willem Roux, and tax lawyer Bastian Thurneysen unpack how Restricted Stock Units are taxed in Switzerland, why vesting creates taxable income, and how international professionals can avoid costly surprises with equity compensation and cross-border taxation.
Julia Tatje
2 days ago2 min read
Real estate abroad – taxes in Switzerland?
I couldn’t help but wonder … can a relationship even work without open communication? If you hide something important in a relationship, you’re laying the groundwork for mistrust and jealousy. That is exactly what could happen with romantic Switzerland: the Swiss tax office wants to know if you have fallen for a property abroad. So do you have to pay more tax in Switzerland if you own a house or condo in a different country? Not directly, but you can't keep your real estate a
Julia Tatje
2 days ago5 min read
You Can Afford It. That Doesn’t Mean You Can Buy It - The Truth About Buying Property in Switzerland with Peter Bloemsma
Can foreigners buy property in Switzerland? Many assume budget is the only barrier, but Swiss law tells a different story. In this episode of Tax and the City, Julia Tatje and Peter Bloemsma explain Lex Koller, property restrictions for internationals, and why permission determines what you can buy. Learn how residency status, permits, and tax rules shape Swiss real estate ownership.
Julia Tatje
2 days ago2 min read
Why Waiting to Invest Costs You Thousands (Especially for Women in Switzerland) with Cristina Jaeger
Investing for women often gets postponed, not because of a lack of ambition, but because of uncertainty. In this episode of Tax and the City, Julia Tatje and Cristina Jaeger explore why delaying financial decisions can become costly, especially for internationally mobile women. Learn how investing, pension planning, and financial confidence shape long-term wealth and why waiting even two years can make a significant difference.
Julia Tatje
2 days ago3 min read
ANobAG or self-employed? A guide to working across borders.
I couldn’t help but wonder … can you be in a committed relationship without realising it? Perhaps you’ve unintentionally ended up in a long-distance relationship. If you’re not seeing anyone else, you speak almost every day and let them know as soon as you’re ill, then it’s probably happened: your harmless holiday flirtation has turned into a real relationship! While this is unlikely in private life, it happens more often on a professional level in Switzerland. Many people be
Julia Tatje
2 days ago5 min read
What to do before imputed rental value becomes history? With Bastian Thurneysen
The imputed rental value was unpopular and often misunderstood for years – and now it's to be abolished. Suddenly, everyone wants to know what that means for them. Julia Tatje talks to Bastian Thurneysen, a lawyer at Burckhardt, about the mistakes being made right now and why today's decisions will have long-lasting effects – even after 2028. And yes, the two have known each other since a campsite somewhere in the mountains of Lesotho. Or was it South Africa? No matter – now
Julia Tatje
2 days ago2 min read
From Corporate to Portfolio - One Woman's Reinvention with Xenia Tao
After more than a decade in global banking, Xenia made the decision to step into something new. Not a pivot, not a side hustle. A reinvention. From corporate to portfolio. In this episode, Julia Tatje sits down with Xenia to talk about what really happens when the professional identity you spent years building no longer fits, and what it actually takes, practically and personally, to build what comes next. It turns out the paperwork was never the hard part. They discuss the t
Julia Tatje
2 days ago2 min read
The Swiss-US Tax Mistakes Nobody Warns You About with Darlene Hart
You've got your people. But are your people talking to each other? In this episode, Julia Tatje and Darlene Hart reveal the cross-border tax blunders quietly costing Americans in Switzerland, Swiss nationals with US investments, and green card holders who think they've escaped the IRS. Spoiler: you haven't. In This Episode Why your Swiss tax return and your US CPA should never be strangers Green card holders: the IRS follows you everywhere - yes, even Zurich Pillar 3A for Ame
Julia Tatje
2 days ago2 min read
Why Taxes can "beat" the Psychiatrist – The Woman Behind taxum
In the very first episode of Tax and the City, meet the woman who makes taxes entertaining: Julia Tatje, founder of taxum Personal Tax Boutique in Zurich. In conversation with Alexandra Weck, Julia shares why she left her marketing career behind to do tax returns for international professionals and families – and why her clients say 15 minutes with her is better than a visit to the psychiatrist. Plus: What's the deal with imputed rental value, why Swiss tax returns aren't as
Julia Tatje
2 days ago1 min read
Taxes for expats: An easy guide to Swiss taxation
I couldn’t help but wonder … are Swiss taxes for expats really the biggest red flag of them all? There are some questions you should ask your potential new partner right away. Like: Do you have children? Do you rent or own? And: What do you consider ‘too much money for a pair of shoes’? With Swiss taxes it's the exact same: you want to get the important stuff sorted quickly. That's why we dive deep into taxes for expats today. Because yes, you do have to pay taxes! After all,
Julia Tatje
2 days ago7 min read
Have your tax return completed – or do it yourself?
I couldn't help but wonder: is a tidy tax return actually better than ...? There are certain things you can do on your own – but they are more enjoyable with a partner. Doing it alone may be satisfying, but when you know each other well, trust one another and simply let yourself go, it becomes more than that. It's like reaching a whole new climax when the tax assessment finally arrives. Because, of course, we're talking about having your tax return completed for you instead o
Julia Tatje
2 days ago5 min read
Voluntary disclosure: When tax offences are forgiven
I couldn’t help but wonder... is ‘once’ really ‘never’? No one likes to be told lies or deceived. But while many relationships are ruined faster than you can say ‘divorce lawyer’, the Swiss tax system is somewhat more forgiving. A mistake in your tax return – for example, forgetting to declare an asset – may go unpunished. But in tax matters, as in love, it is important to come clean yourself: with a voluntary disclosure that is not subject to penalties. We explain how you ca
Julia Tatje
2 days ago6 min read
The ‘subsequent ordinary assessment’ explained
I couldn't help but wonder... can tax returns be a love language too? Letters, poems, love songs: finding just the right words to express our love has always been the peak of romance. Anyone who falls in love with Switzerland – the place where peaks and romance meet – initially expresses their affection through Swiss withholding tax. But when infatuation turns into true love, it's time for the NOV (nachträgliche ordentliche Veranlagung). This ‘subsequent ordinary assessment’
Julia Tatje
2 days ago5 min read
Self-employed? This makes single-entry bookkeeping easy.
I couldn't help but wonder... wouldn't it be nice to simply fall in love with bookkeeping? Singles looking for love have a lot to put up with. Overcrowded dating apps, catfish profiles and bad first dates are just the beginning. Self-employed people – the singles of the working world – have it much easier up to a certain revenue: their rendezvous with the Swiss tax system is not that complicated thanks to ‘single-entry bookkeeping’. Or can something really be difficult that i
Julia Tatje
2 days ago7 min read
What is pillar 3a? How private pension provision pays off.
I couldn't help but wonder... aren't our BFFs actually the best retirement plan? Women know that girls' nights aren't (just) about shoes, make-up and hot dates. We make plans together, help each other out of difficult situations and get through breakups collectively. You could even say that friendships are the most reliable form of security for the future. This makes our BFFs the ‘pillar 3a’ of relationships: we can rely on each other – BECAUSE we voluntarily invest a lot. Ot
Julia Tatje
2 days ago5 min read
The three-pillar system: pension provision and tax savings
I couldn't help but wonder... what can one really rely on? Trust is not something that is granted to us – we have to earn it first. By being there for each other, we build reliable relationships with our loved ones: brick by brick, until a wall is built that we can lean on. This is exactly how the three-pillar system in Switzerland is structured: together, the three pillars ensure that you have something to lean on and rely on in old age or in the event of invalidity. And you
Julia Tatje
2 days ago6 min read
Abolishing imputed rental value: A good outlook for owners?
I couldn't help but wonder: will property owners in Switzerland soon be able to enjoy a better (tax) outlook...? As if there wasn't already enough to consider when buying your own home in terms of location, size and so on - in Switzerland, you also have to think about imputed rental value. This is a fictitious income where a tax is levied on owners of residential property. Many Swiss people want to abolish the imputed rental value because the system is not exactly fair today.
Julia Tatje
2 days ago5 min read
What can you deduct from your taxes in Switzerland?
I couldn't help but wonder... are worries tax deductible too? Filing your tax return is like having a rendezvous in the Swiss tax system. As you would expect on a first date, we talk about the good things in our lives: what we do, what we own, what is important to us. But is there also room for our worries? Absolutely, because we want to know whether our partner cares about them. This is exactly what the Swiss tax system does by reducing our tax burden. But what can you deduc
Julia Tatje
2 days ago7 min read
Imputed rental value: This is what you should know.
I couldn't help but wonder: does the dream of rent-free home ownership only exist in fairy tales...? Imagine Cinderella finally moving into her picturesque Swiss castle. And then she suddenly has to pay taxes instead of rent for her new home. This is exactly what the imputed rental value means in Switzerland: a tax that is not exactly fairytale-like, especially for new homeowners. We explain what the imputed rental value is and how likely it will soon be abolished. We also co
Julia Tatje
2 days ago4 min read
Ending the marriage penalty in Switzerland - or not?
I couldn't help but wonder: Is getting married not punishment enough...? It probably depends on your partner. In Switzerland, however, there is another reason to think twice about a wedding: Married couples are taxed jointly. It often happens that double earners pay higher taxes after the wedding. That is what we call the ‘marriage penalty’. Let's find out whether it will soon be abolished and if marriage is still worthwhile (from a tax perspective) until then. What is the ma
Julia Tatje
2 days ago4 min read
bottom of page