We are happy to answer your questions about contracting in our blog. If you would like to clear up any ambiguity and still cannot find any information about this on our website or in the blog, please send us an email to service@itcag.com.

We will then publish the answer to your question anonymously via blog within a week. On the one hand, we can help you and at the same time expand the range of advice for other IT professionals. So that together we can ensure that you and your IT colleagues are always well informed!

Frequently asked Questions:

Do counselors receive child and education allowances?

If expats are not already receiving child benefit in their home country, it is possible to apply for child benefit in Switzerland. Child allowances are requested in the employer’s location canton. In our case, the Canton of Zug. For children up to the age of 16, a monthly child allowance of CHF 300 is paid. Children in training receive a training allowance of CHF 300 or CHF 350 per month (from the age of 19) until the end of their training (up to their 25th birthday at the latest).

A child allowance can also be requested for Swiss citizens if one parent is already receiving an allowance. In that case the difference in child allowance between cantons is to be paid. Example: The family lives in the canton of Zurich and one parent works in the canton of Zurich. He or she receives CHF 200 for the child. In the canton of Zug the child allowance is CHF 300, so the other parent has the right to be paid the difference (CHF 100).

Will a pension fund be set up?

If the assignment lasts more than 3 months, the occupational pension fund (BVG) is mandatory. If the project duration is shorter, insurance under the BVG is possible, but not necessary. Consultants can decide on this option as they wish. In the case of collective labour agreements (GAV) with consultants who are required to provide support for children, insurance under the BVG is possible from the first day even if the assignment is less than 13 weeks. The BVG entry threshold is applied to all of our consultants.

What about compulsory health insurance in Switzerland?

Every person who lives and / or works in Switzerland is legally obliged to take out insurance with a Swiss health insurance company within three months of taking up residence / starting work in Switzerland (beginning of compulsory insurance in Switzerland).

An overview of all Swiss health insurance providers can be found at:

www.krankenkasse-vergleich.ch / www.comparis.ch

Insurance cover and the obligation to pay premiums apply from the first working day. The premium is a monthly premium.

What does the withholding tax rate look like?

As an employer, we are obliged to deduct withholding tax directly from the salary of foreign consultants (with the exception of holders of C permits). The rate is based on the consultant’s canton of residence, marital status, whether child allowance is being received and whether the consultant pays church taxes or not.

The following situations exist for expats:

Situation 1:
The advisor is single -> tariff A

Situation 2:
Spouse also works (in Switzerland or abroad) -> tariff C (double earner)

Situation 3:
Spouse not employed (proof required, guidelines differ in all cantons) -> tariff B

Withholding tax rates as an example for the Canton of Zurich

CH (EN)

Search