Selling property in the Canton of Schwyz
Selling in the Canton of Schwyz: long ownership pays off.
Schwyz rewards patience: up to 70 % reduction on property gains tax after 25 years – and no transfer tax. Selling soon after buying, on the other hand, costs a surcharge.
As of October 2026 · Tax law of the Canton of Schwyz (SRSZ 172.200), version of 1 February 2026.
What most people overlook: whether in Wollerau or Einsiedeln, the municipal tax multiplier (Steuerfuss) does not affect this tax. Two details from the old purchase contract do.
Taxes on the sale
What taxes do I pay when I sell my house in the Canton of Schwyz?
Selling your house in the Canton of Schwyz means property gains tax on the profit, not the price, and no transfer tax. Profit, simply put: sale price minus purchase price, minus value-adding work like an extension. Only the canton levies it, with no municipal multiplier (§§ 2 and 3 Tax Act). The same rates apply in all 30 municipalities.
Years of ownership count all the more. Example: a CHF 120,000 gain after 25 full years means CHF 9,333 in tax. Without the 70 % reduction, it would be CHF 31,110 (§ 120 Schwyz Tax Act, version of 1 February 2026). If you inherited, your parents' years count too (§ 121 Tax Act); see how we work with heirs.
What this means for you: after 25 full years, waiting no longer lowers this tax. If your next full year of ownership is only months away, waiting can lower it. The fifth full year cuts it by 10 %. If you or your parents are undecided, the six-question home check helps.
Wait or sell? Either way, a valuation turns the example into your own figure. The net calculation shows in writing what you keep after property gains tax, repaying the mortgage and selling costs – before you sign anything.
Process and deadlines
Selling a house in the Canton of Schwyz: what matters before and after signing?
Selling a house in the Canton of Schwyz, you must secure property gains tax no later than the sale. The cantonal tax administration (kantonale Steuerverwaltung) sets the expected amount (§ 13 Property Gains Tax Ordinance). You deposit it in cash or by bank cheque with the district public notary (Amtsnotar). Or an irrevocable, open-ended bank guarantee secures it (§ 197 Schwyz Tax Act, version of 1 February 2026).
Replace your owner-occupied home with another in Switzerland, and a replacement purchase (Ersatzbeschaffung) defers the tax on request. Only the reinvested amount is deferred. If the new, smaller flat costs less than the proceeds, the gain is partly or fully taxed (replacement purchase leaflet (German), 17 March 2026). If you buy after selling, apply within 90 days of buying.
What this means for you: file the tax return within 30 days of selling (§ 161 Tax Act). The deadline can be extended. But settle how you secure the tax before signing. How a sale with us works, from first conversation to notary.
Municipality atlas · all 30 municipalities
Home ownership in the Canton of Schwyz: every municipality compared
The Canton of Schwyz does not publish official house prices by municipality. What is official is shown here: how old the homes are, how they are heated, who lives there, how scarce housing is and how high the tax rate is. Across the canton, 46.5 % of buildings with residential use were built before 1981 and 20.4 % of residents are 65 or older.
Most buildings with residential use built before 1981
Highest share of residents aged 65+
Lowest vacancy rate
- Illgau0.00 %
- Innerthal0.00 %
- Lauerz0.00 %
- Riemenstalden0.00 %
- Steinerberg0.00 %
| Municipality | Residents | aged 65+ | built pre-1981 | oil/gas | single-family | vacancy | tax rate | train Zurich |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpthal Bezirk Schwyz | 641 | 19.7 % | 41.5 % | 19.0 % | 63.0 % | 0.70 % | 155% | 87 min |
| Altendorf Bezirk March | 7,539 | 19.5 % | 34.6 % | 46.8 % | 52.4 % | 0.64 % | 115% | 38 min |
| Arth Bezirk Schwyz | 12,616 | 18.6 % | 48.0 % | 44.9 % | 44.8 % | 0.29 % | 145% | 40 min |
| Einsiedeln Bezirk Einsiedeln | 16,667 | 21.5 % | 49.7 % | 47.9 % | 54.4 % | 0.33 % | 170% | 49 min |
| Feusisberg Bezirk Höfe | 5,588 | 20.6 % | 40.2 % | 50.6 % | 46.6 % | 0.37 % | 69% | 37 min |
| Freienbach Bezirk Höfe | 17,100 | 21.1 % | 46.4 % | 63.4 % | 51.5 % | 0.69 % | 64% | 25 min |
| Galgenen Bezirk March | 5,506 | 18.0 % | 43.9 % | 50.8 % | 57.5 % | 0.27 % | 155% | 48 min |
| Gersau Bezirk Gersau | 2,505 | 25.1 % | 78.8 % | 32.4 % | 44.7 % | 0.98 % | 145% | 87 min |
| Illgau Bezirk Schwyz | 819 | 16.6 % | 41.3 % | 16.8 % | 21.9 % | 0.00 % | 195% | 104 min |
| Ingenbohl Bezirk Schwyz | 9,599 | 25.2 % | 51.1 % | 35.3 % | 40.1 % | 0.33 % | 165% | 60 min |
| Innerthal Bezirk March | 194 | 22.7 % | 83.0 % | 21.2 % | 50.9 % | 0.00 % | 140% | 72 min |
| Küssnacht (SZ) Bezirk Küssnacht (SZ) | 14,185 | 21.5 % | 47.4 % | 39.7 % | 39.1 % | 0.36 % | 145% | 55 min |
| Lachen Bezirk March | 9,448 | 20.7 % | 49.5 % | 56.7 % | 45.2 % | 0.15 % | 125% | 31 min |
| Lauerz Bezirk Schwyz | 1,165 | 15.5 % | 40.4 % | 32.3 % | 61.7 % | 0.00 % | 175% | 58 min |
| Morschach Bezirk Schwyz | 1,402 | 16.9 % | 50.4 % | 33.0 % | 42.6 % | 0.16 % | 165% | 77 min |
| Muotathal Bezirk Schwyz | 3,604 | 20.2 % | 56.6 % | 22.8 % | 32.1 % | 0.05 % | 150% | 97 min |
| Oberiberg Bezirk Schwyz | 941 | 32.6 % | 59.4 % | 34.1 % | 49.1 % | 0.94 % | 125% | 87 min |
| Reichenburg Bezirk March | 4,142 | 15.3 % | 39.3 % | 60.8 % | 64.1 % | 1.00 % | 180% | 45 min |
| Riemenstalden Bezirk Schwyz | 88 | 22.7 % | 61.1 % | 13.9 % | 47.2 % | 0.00 % | 135% | 189 min |
| Rothenthurm Bezirk Schwyz | 2,604 | 14.6 % | 44.1 % | 20.9 % | 37.4 % | 0.66 % | 155% | 66 min |
| Sattel Bezirk Schwyz | 2,097 | 16.6 % | 48.5 % | 30.3 % | 48.7 % | 0.09 % | 155% | 64 min |
| Schwyz Bezirk Schwyz | 16,735 | 20.4 % | 50.8 % | 48.2 % | 39.7 % | 0.22 % | 175% | 56 min |
| Schübelbach Bezirk March | 9,919 | 18.0 % | 36.9 % | 56.0 % | 55.4 % | 0.78 % | 180% | 54 min |
| Steinen Bezirk Schwyz | 3,762 | 17.9 % | 42.9 % | 43.2 % | 41.8 % | 0.59 % | 195% | 60 min |
| Steinerberg Bezirk Schwyz | 954 | 19.2 % | 33.9 % | 27.3 % | 49.6 % | 0.00 % | 155% | 57 min |
| Tuggen Bezirk March | 3,491 | 18.2 % | 39.6 % | 32.5 % | 50.1 % | 0.65 % | 154% | 54 min |
| Unteriberg Bezirk Schwyz | 2,524 | 21.2 % | 51.7 % | 41.9 % | 40.5 % | 1.16 % | 155% | 99 min |
| Vorderthal Bezirk March | 1,032 | 22.6 % | 51.8 % | 38.0 % | 49.1 % | 0.34 % | 165% | 67 min |
| Wangen (SZ) Bezirk March | 5,574 | 20.8 % | 41.1 % | 38.9 % | 60.3 % | 0.68 % | 165% | 46 min |
| Wollerau Bezirk Höfe | 7,631 | 22.6 % | 32.3 % | 60.7 % | 56.3 % | 1.61 % | 64% | 43 min |
No municipality found.
Sources and how to read the figures
Shares in percent of buildings with residential use (age, heating, single-family houses) or of residents (65+). Vacancy in percent of all dwellings. Train: fastest weekday morning connection to Zurich HB. «–» means: no official figure.
- Residents and age – Federal Statistical OfficeAs of 31.12.2025
- Buildings: age, heating, type – Federal Statistical OfficeAs of 31.12.2025
- Vacant dwellings – Federal Statistical OfficeAs of 01.06.2026
- Tax rates – Canton of SchwyzAs of Steuerjahr 2026
- Undeveloped building zones – Federal Office for Spatial DevelopmentAs of 01.01.2022
- Train connections – Swiss timetable dataAs of Fahrplan 2026
- Register of municipalities – Federal Statistical OfficeAs of 01.10.2026
How to cite: Immosmile (2026): Municipality atlas Canton of Schwyz – official home-ownership figures for all 30 municipalities. Analysis of data from the Federal Statistical Office, the Federal Office for Spatial Development and the canton. https://immosmile.ch/en/region/schwyz#gemeinden-atlas, as of 2026-10-29.
What is different here
What you should know about selling in the Canton of Schwyz.
Surcharge for haste, discount for patience
The canton taxes the gain progressively from 8 to 30 %; the first CHF 2,000 of gain is exempt. Selling within one year costs a 40 % surcharge, within four years still 10 %. From five full years the tax falls by 10 %, by a further 3 percentage points each year – up to 70 % after 25 years.
Tax deferred on request
If you sell the home you live in and, as a rule, invest the proceeds within four years before or after the sale in a new home you live in yourself in Switzerland, you can request a deferral (§ 109 tax law SZ). This does not apply to holiday or second homes.
The district public notary
Purchase contracts for property in the Canton of Schwyz are notarised exclusively by the public notary of the district where the property is located.
Districts and municipalities
Six districts – from Lake Zurich to the Schwyz basin.
From the lakeshore in Höfe and March to Einsiedeln and the basin of Schwyz. We are happy to talk about your property in person.
Getting there
From the office at Bahnhofplatz Zurich
By train from Zurich HB, fastest connection on a weekday from 9 am (SBB timetable 2026, checked on 30 September 2026).
- Zurich HB → Pfäffikon SZ 24 min · direct
- Zurich HB → Lachen 29 min · direct
- Zurich HB → Einsiedeln 46 min · 1 change
- Zurich HB → Schwyz 56 min · 1 change
Estate agent in the Canton of Schwyz
Selling in the Canton of Schwyz with Immosmile: four phases, one contact person
I support sales in the Canton of Zurich and across German-speaking Switzerland, including the Canton of Schwyz. Through all four phases you have one contact person: me, Dominik Devaja, managing director of Immosmile. You pay nothing beforehand. Our fee falls due only when you sign the contract at the notary (Beurkundung).
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Clarity
Independent valuation, net calculation after taxes and costs, a look at what comes after. You decide on figures, not on hearsay.
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Preview
Before anyone sees your house, film, photography and exposé are produced. Then we show it to vetted buyers first – not yet on the portals.
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Market decision
You receive the demand report and every offer immediately. Then you choose the path to the best price: accept, bidding round – or the broad public phase on the portals, the normal case.
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Completion & move
Notary appointment, key handover, documents for what comes after – and, if you wish, guidance into your next home. Our fee only falls due now, with the notarised deed.
The full process in detail What is your property in the Canton of Schwyz worth?
Questions from the Canton of Schwyz
What owners here want to know.
Is there a property transfer tax in the Canton of Schwyz?
No. The Canton of Schwyz does not levy a property transfer tax.
How high is property gains tax in the Canton of Schwyz?
It is progressive: on the gain reduced by CHF 2,000, 8 % on the first CHF 3,000, 12 % on the next CHF 5,000, 16 % on the next CHF 7,000, 20 % on the next CHF 10,000, 25 % on the next CHF 15,000 and 30 % on any gain above CHF 40,000 (§ 120 tax law SZ). Surcharges or reductions apply depending on the period of ownership. The tax is levied by the canton.
Does the tax fall if I have owned the property for a long time?
Yes. From five full years of ownership it falls by 10 %, by a further 3 percentage points each year, up to 70 % from 25 full years. Selling within four years, on the other hand, costs a surcharge of 10 to 40 % (§ 120 tax law SZ).
Can I defer the tax if I buy a new home?
Yes, on request – if you sell a home you permanently and exclusively live in and, as a rule, invest the proceeds within four years before or after the sale in a replacement home of the same use in Switzerland. This does not apply to holiday or second homes (§ 109 tax law SZ).
Who notarises the purchase contract?
Exclusively the public notary of the district in which the property is wholly or mostly located (§ 10 EGzZGB SZ).
Does the original purchase price still count for property gains tax after 30 years?
Yes. In the Canton of Schwyz, property gains tax uses the actual purchase price, even after decades; no flat-rate substitute applies (§ 115 Schwyz Tax Act). If that price can no longer be established, the market value (Verkehrswert) at purchase applies: what a buyer would realistically have paid then. If the purchase date is also unknown, the tax valuation (Steuerschatzungswert) for wealth tax 25 years before the sale applies (tax guide, October 2018).
You are an estate agent in Zurich. Do you also handle sales in the Canton of Schwyz?
Yes. The Immosmile office is at Bahnhofplatz 1 in Zurich; Pfäffikon SZ is 24 minutes away by train. From the first conversation to the notary, you have a single contact: managing director Dominik Devaja. Whether we are the right choice for your property is something we clarify openly in the first conversation.
What does buying cost in the Canton of Schwyz?
No transfer tax (Federal Tax Administration dossier on transfer tax). Land registry and notarisation fees come on top. For a purchase price of CHF 1 million, the buyer pays CHF 450 to 900, depending on the purchase contract and excluding mortgage notes (as of October 2026).
All eight cantons and a calculator: purchase costs by canton.
Sources
- Tax law of the Canton of Schwyz (SRSZ 172.200)
- Leaflet: replacement of owner-occupied homes – Canton of Schwyz (German)
- Property transfer tax – Swiss Federal Tax Administration
General information, not tax advice. You receive the exact calculation for your property in the free valuation.
Your contact for the Canton of Schwyz
Want to know what you keep in Schwyz after tax? Call me.
From Bahnhofplatz Zurich I am in Pfäffikon SZ in 24 minutes. You get an honest assessment – even if it says «wait».
