Lucerne is Switzerland’s new tax haven
Zurich - Lucerne now has the lowest corporate tax rate in Switzerland. After lowering this from 11.91 percent to 11.66 percent, Lucerne has undercut the previous number one, the canton of Zug. Here, too, corporate tax has been marginally cut to a new level of 11.71 percent. These findings are reported in a tax comparison from PwC.
Eight Swiss cantons have implemented slight cuts to their rate of corporate tax, while four have moved to increase this marginally. As such, Swiss cantons are maintaining their competitive standing in a comparison of international tax rates. This is according to the 2026 tax comparison recently published by the auditing and consulting firm PwC.
Accordingly, Lucerne is now the canton with the lowest corporate tax rate in Switzerland for the first time. This was cut from 11.91 percent last year to 11.66 percent, undercutting the rate in the canton of Zug in the process. For its part, the canton of Zug reduced its rate from 11.85 percent to 11.71 percent, making it the second-lowest rate in the country.
However, the differences between the cantons can, in some instances, be far from trivial. For example, the tax rate in Bern stands at 20.45 percent. This is not only the highest in Switzerland, but also nearly twice as high as that of the canton of Lucerne. The canton of Zurich, which has the second-highest corporate tax burden, has slightly reduced its rate from 19.61 to 19.47 percent. Nevertheless, the tax rate remains unchanged in the majority of Swiss cantons.
However, the cantons of Bern and Zurich still rank in midtable when compared with OECD and G20 countries. Conversely, Lucerne and Zug are towards the bottom, whereby only Hungary offers a lower rate of corporate tax, at 9 percent. “Despite global tax reforms, Switzerland remains an attractive location for international corporations thanks to moderate tax rates and a stable economic environment”, as Rolf Röllin, Partner Corporate Tax at PwC Switzerland, concludes.
An interactive map displays all tax rates in detail. In addition to the current corporate tax rates for Switzerland and internationally, the map also provides information on new income tax rates for individuals with earnings of between 100,000 and 250,000 Swiss francs per year, as well as the marginal tax rates for each canton.
