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What most people overlook: after decades, almost the whole price looks like gain. Yet selling costs lower the gain too, sometimes even a fee your bank charges.
| Rule | Canton of Schwyz |
|---|---|
| Allowance per calendar year, deducted from the gain | CHF 2,000 |
| Rate on the first CHF 3,000 after the allowance | 8 % |
| Rate on any gain above CHF 40,000 | 30 % |
| Surcharge under 1 full year of ownership | + 40 % |
| Reduction at 5 full years of ownership | – 10 % |
| Reduction from 25 full years of ownership, maximum | – 70 % |
Calculation in two steps
How is property gains tax calculated in the Canton of Schwyz?
In the Canton of Schwyz, property gains tax is worked out in two steps: rates, then surcharge or reduction. First, CHF 2,000 comes off the gain. On the rest, the rate rises from 8 to 30 %. The result is the basic tax (Grundsteuer).
Step two uses the holding period (Besitzdauer): your full years of ownership. Under one year, 40 % of the basic tax is added; at four full years, nothing. From five full years it falls by 10 %, then 3 points more per full year. After 25 full years it is 70 % (§ 120 Schwyz Tax Act, version of 1 February 2026); the tax guide (Wegleitung) says it stops there.
What this means for you: take the dates from the land register (Grundbuch), the official record of ownership. The official calculator counts from date to date: one day too early, and you lose a full year of ownership. With an inherited house, your parents' purchase usually counts (§ 121 Tax Act). See what applies when selling an inherited house.
The calculator knows the rates; you or your parents know the years owned. Only your home value is still missing: what your house would really fetch today. The net calculation shows in writing what you keep after property gains tax, repaying the mortgage and selling costs – before you sign anything.
Acquisition costs and selling costs
Which costs lower property gains tax in the Canton of Schwyz?
In the Canton of Schwyz, two kinds of cost lower property gains tax: value-adding work, and buying and selling costs. Both are acquisition costs (Anlagekosten): what the house has cost you (§ 116 Tax Act). An extension adds value, for example; paying towards a road or sewer also counts. Mere upkeep, like repainting, does not count.
Selling costs count too: notary and land register fees, listings, sales documents and a customary agent's commission. If the sale ends your mortgage early, the bank's early repayment charge (Vorfälligkeitsentschädigung) also counts. You may deduct it only once, not again from income. Moving, clearing, cleaning and a bank guarantee for the tax do not count (tax guide, in German, October 2018, pages 14–15).
What this means for you: keep the extension invoice out of the recycling bin. Every documented franc lowers the gain taxed at rates of up to 30 %. Enter investments and selling costs in the calculator. Without the purchase contract, see what applies in Schwyz if the price is undocumented.
Worked example
Example: a CHF 450,000 gain after 15 full years.
Purchase price, investments and selling costs are already deducted. This is how the Canton of Schwyz taxes the rest under § 120 of its Tax Act.
- Property gain
- CHF 450,000
- Taxable gain after the CHF 2,000 allowance
- CHF 448,000
- Tax on the first CHF 40,000 (bands from 8 to 25 %)
- CHF 7,710
- 30 % on the remaining CHF 408,000
- CHF 122,400
- 40 % reduction after 15 full years, on CHF 130,110 basic tax
- – CHF 52,044
- Property gains tax, canton only, no tax multiplier (Steuerfuss)
- CHF 78,066
New home, tax deferred
Replacement purchase in the Canton of Schwyz: how much property gains tax is deferred?
In the Canton of Schwyz, a replacement purchase (Ersatzbeschaffung) defers property gains tax only as far as the proceeds fund your new home. You must live in both homes, the old one permanently and exclusively. Buy the new one in Switzerland, usually within 4 years before or after the sale (§ 109 Tax Act). No holiday or second homes; deferral only on request.
The official example (leaflet, in German, 17 March 2026): a sale brings CHF 800,000. The old one cost CHF 500,000: a CHF 300,000 gain. The new one costs CHF 750,000, 80 % owner-occupied: CHF 600,000 counts. CHF 200,000 is taxed at once, CHF 100,000 deferred.
What this means for you: a cheaper flat means paying part of the tax now, all of it if the gap is large. Deferred is not waived: it counts when you sell the new home. The calculator defers only what goes into a fully owner-occupied new home. The six-question home check shows whether downsizing suits you.
To be honest
Schwyz property gains tax: how long is it worth waiting to sell?
In the Canton of Schwyz, each further full year of ownership can lower property gains tax, until you reach 25 full years. It matters most at the start: under four full years, the surcharge costs money. A CHF 80,000 gain after 8 months means CHF 26,754 in tax; after four full years, without surcharge, CHF 19,110. In this example, waiting until the fourth full year can avoid CHF 7,644 in tax.
After 25 full years, waiting no longer lowers this tax (§ 120 Schwyz Tax Act and tax guide, page 18). A CHF 300,000 gain after 32 full years means CHF 25,533 in tax, the same as after 25 full years. From then on, life after the sale decides, not the tax: where you want to live and what you keep. And sometimes the honest answer is: keep it.
Schwyz property gains tax: what do owners ask most often?
Is there an allowance for property gains tax in the Canton of Schwyz?
Yes: an allowance (Freibetrag) of CHF 2,000 per calendar year. It is a deduction, not a threshold: even on a large gain, the first CHF 2,000 stays untaxed (§ 120 Schwyz Tax Act). If you sell twice in the same year, you get it only once. If the tax on a sale is CHF 30 or less, the canton does not collect it (§ 24 Property Gains Tax Ordinance, Grundstückgewinnsteuerverordnung).
Do married couples or siblings pay property gains tax in the Canton of Schwyz per person?
No. If several owners sell together, the allowance and banded rates apply only once, to their combined gain (tax guide, October 2018, page 17). Spreading the gain across several people therefore does not lower the tax. If you are calculating for your parents or with siblings, enter the figures for the whole house.
When do I have to pay property gains tax in the Canton of Schwyz?
It falls due 30 days after the sale. You must pay within 30 days of the invoice (§ 21 Property Gains Tax Ordinance). The cantonal tax administration (kantonale Steuerverwaltung) sets the expected amount. It must be secured by the time of the sale at the latest (§ 197 Schwyz Tax Act).
Is the calculator's result as binding as a tax assessment?
No, the result is a reference value. The calculator applies the rates of § 120 Schwyz Tax Act to the franc, but to your estimates. You can check the tax amount with the canton's official calculator, in German. The cantonal tax administration decides whether investments and costs count, in its assessment (Veranlagung): the formal tax decision. Not covered: for example, a new home you only partly live in, or earlier gains in the same year.
Are my entries in the property gains tax calculator saved?
No. The calculator works in your browser; your figures are not sent to us. We only receive what you enter in a form, once you submit it.
Do I have to sell with you afterwards?
No. The valuation and the first conversation are free and without obligation. That also applies if our recommendation in the end is «keep it».
Sources
- Tax Act of the Canton of Schwyz (Steuergesetz, SRSZ 172.200), §§ 104–121, in German · version of 1 February 2026
- Property Gains Tax Ordinance (Grundstückgewinnsteuerverordnung, Schwyz tax manual 21.13), in German · 2018 issue
- Guide to the property gains tax return (Wegleitung), in German · October 2018 edition
- Leaflet on replacement purchases of owner-occupied homes for property gains tax (Merkblatt), in German · 17 March 2026
- Cantonal Tax Administration of Schwyz – calculations (official calculator), in German · version 2025.04.10, accessed 29 September 2026
General information, not individual advice. The law, the tax assessment and advice from professionals for your situation are what count.
