The Canton of Grisons (Grigioni) applies a imposta cantonale sulla ricchezza on taxable net wealth, combined with municipal and church tax multipliers. Overall, effective wealth tax sits in a mid-Swiss range, but can be higher in some tourist municipalities with strong tax rates and high-value property markets. For many taxpayers, planning focuses on residence, net-wealth determination, valuation of real estate and businesses, and coordination with inheritance and income tax rules.

1. Selezione della residenza e del comune

Wealth tax in Grisons is driven by both the cantonal tariff and the municipal tax rate expressed as a percentage of the simple cantonal tax. The main planning question is often where to be resident among Grisons, neighbouring cantons, or abroad, and only secondarily which Grisons municipality to choose.

• Compare municipalities such as Chur, Davos, St. Moritz, Arosa, Landquart, Ilanz/Glion and other alpine resorts using their published tax multipliers and model the impact at your expected net-wealth level.
• Balance tax considerations against lifestyle factors: proximity to Zurich or St. Gallen, access to rail and airports, quality of schooling and healthcare, and the local property market.
• Ensure that your declared tax residence reflects your genuine centro della vita (Punto di partenza per la vita) where you actually live and are integrated socially and economically, particularly if you also own property in Zurich, Zug, Ticino or abroad.
• Where you maintain a holiday property in Grisons but live in another canton or country, check that responsabilità fiscale limitata is correctly applied and that no unintended full-residency position arises.

2. Indennità, detrazioni sociali e debiti

Grisons taxes ricchezza netta: worldwide assets for residents minus deductible liabilities and personal allowances. Getting this net figure right is often more impactful than sophisticated structuring.

• Make full use of cantonal assegni personali for wealth, which vary depending on marital status and dependent children, and which shield lower levels of net wealth from taxation.
• Confirm that your civil status and dependent children are correctly reflected in the Grisons tax return or e-filing, so that allowances are automatically applied.
• Ensure that all passività deducibili are included as at 31 December: mortgages, bank and margin loans, shareholder and intra-family loans with proper documentation, and unpaid tax or social-security balances.
• If assets and debts are spread across several cantons or countries, respect Swiss allocation rules when distributing liabilities between Grisons and other locations to avoid disputes or double counting.
• Treat leverage as a commercial decision first: with mid-range wealth tax rates, additional borrowing purely for tax reduction may provide limited net benefit once interest costs and risk are considered.

Because wealth tax is determined on a net basis, relatively moderate borrowing combined with allowances can keep the effective tax rate low for mid-range wealth levels, while high-net-worth families still benefit from a meaningful reduction of their taxable base.

3. Valuation Reviews & Alpine Real Estate

Grisons has a significant share of holiday and resort real estate, as well as private companies linked to tourism, construction, and services. Correct valuation of these assets is central to wealth tax planning.

• Real estate in Grisons: Review the tax value of apartments and chalets in resorts like Davos, St. Moritz or Arosa against current market prices and rental yields. Major renovations, zoning changes or market shifts may justify an updated valuation or clarification with the tax office.
• Immobili in altri cantoni o all'estero: Ensure consistent valuation between Grisons and other tax authorities, especially where real estate is subject to wealth tax elsewhere or forms part of foreign filings.
• Aziende private: Apply recognised methods (practitioner method or mixed asset/earnings approaches) consistently over time. Document assumptions on earnings normalisation, discount rates, minority discounts and one-off events.
• Business and professional assets: For partnerships or owner-managed businesses operating in Grisons, ensure that capital allocation and goodwill are valued in line with practice, particularly where a permanent establishment exists in another canton.
• Portafogli finanziari: Use year-end statements and recognised pricing sources for listed securities and funds; align foreign currency conversions with official or widely accepted FX rates.
• Attività alternative: Maintain robust valuation files for private equity, carried interest, high-value art and collectibles, and crypto-assets, especially where the same positions appear in foreign tax returns.

4. Coordinamento delle pensioni e dei pensionamenti

Pension arrangements in Grisons follow the standard Swiss system. Assets in pillar 2 occupational schemes e conti del pilastro 3a are exempt from wealth tax while accumulated, and contributions reduce taxable income within statutory limits.

• Use the full pillar 3a allowance in years with high salary, bonus or business income, particularly if you are resident in a Grisons municipality with relatively strong income tax rates.
• Plan voluntary pillar 2 buy-ins over several years, taking into account liquidity, investment horizon and expected retirement date. Consider coordinating buy-ins with major liquidity events (sale of a business, large inheritances, vesting of equity awards).
• Map out pension and 3a withdrawals over multiple tax years to avoid excessive clustering of taxable lump sums, especially if you consider relocating from Grisons to another canton or abroad.
• For cross-border commuters or individuals with foreign pension entitlements, clarify how those plans are treated in Grisons and whether special reporting or lump-sum taxation applies.

5. Pianificazione familiare e successoria

Grisons levies imposta di successione e donazione (structured as an erbanfall/schenkungs tax). However, the canton is comparatively favourable for close family: spouses, registered partners, life partners, descendants, step- and foster children and parents are generally exempt. More distant relatives and unrelated beneficiaries are taxed at progressive rates, with room for municipal supplements.

• Use the broad exemptions for spouses, partners and descendants to implement trasferimenti intrafamiliari of appreciating assets (e.g. alpine property, business shares), aligning tax efficiency with family governance.
• For transfers to non-exempt heirs (siblings, more distant relatives, friends, charities where no specific exemption applies), model both inheritance/gift tax and the future wealth tax position of the recipient in Grisons or other cantons.
• Coordinate wills, matrimonial property agreements and shareholder agreements with Grisons inheritance and gift tax rules, especially where significant real estate or business assets are located in the canton.
• Track prior gifts carefully, as earlier transfers can be relevant for rate determination and must be reconciled with wealth tax reporting to avoid omissions or double counting.

6. Situazioni non residenti e intercantonali

Nonresidents are typically taxed in Grisons only on Grisons-situs assets, primarily real estate and business assets with a permanent establishment. Residents with assets in several cantons or countries are subject to Swiss allocation rules that apportion income and wealth.

• Maintain clear documentation for Grisons real estate (land registry extracts, valuations, rental contracts) and for business assets with a nexus to the canton (e.g. local branches, hotels, restaurants or infrastructure).
• Allocate mortgages and other debt across cantons according to Swiss rules, so that Grisons-situs assets carry an appropriate share of liabilities and the net wealth allocated to the canton is defensible.
• For nonresidents owning Grisons property (holiday homes, investment apartments, hotels), make sure the limited tax liability is correctly reflected and that foreign tax credits or treaty relief are considered in the home country.
• Evaluate whether holding structures (Swiss or foreign companies, partnerships, foundations or trusts) affect the location of wealth taxation, potentially shifting the burden from personal wealth tax to corporate capital tax or foreign regimes.

Vedi Guida per non residenti for a structured overview of limited tax liability, situs and treaty aspects for Grisons-connected assets.

7. Integrazione con una pianificazione più ampia

Grisons offers a stable, mid-range wealth tax environment that can work well for both resident families and cross-border asset owners. Planning is most effective when wealth tax is integrated with income, corporate and estate strategies instead of being treated in isolation.

• Modellare la combinazione carico fiscale effettivo — income tax, wealth tax, social security contributions and inheritance/gift tax — for alternative residence and structuring options inside and outside Grisons.
• Utilizzo reporting consolidato where portfolios and properties are spread across multiple cantons and jurisdictions, allowing consistent, well-documented data for Grisons and other filings.
• Coordinate investment management, leverage decisions, pension planning, corporate structures and estate planning so that valuations, debt allocation and intergenerational transfers all support a coherent tax strategy.

Summary — Grisons Planning Features

• Mid-range effective wealth tax burden driven by a cantonal tariff and municipality-specific tax multipliers, with notable differences between urban centres and resort communities.
• Net-wealth basis with personal allowances and full recognition of documented debt, making allowances and liability allocation key planning levers.
• Strong focus on valuation of alpine real estate and private companies, given the canton’s tourism and services profile.
• Favourable inheritance and gift tax treatment for spouses, partners, descendants, step-/foster children and parents, allowing integrated wealth and succession strategies.
• Well-suited for structured, cross-cantonal planning that coordinates residence, investment structures, pensions and intergenerational transfers.