Valais Corporate & Capital Tax Rates
Last updated: 13 Dec 2025
Valais Corporate & Capital Tax Rates
How corporate profit and capital tax rates work in the Canton of Valais (Wallis): statutory cantonal and communal brackets, cantonal indexation and communal multipliers, minimum tax rules, approximate effective combined burdens (including federal tax), and tools to model the tax load for companies.
Overview
Companies in Valais typically pay a combination of:
- Cantonal profit tax on taxable profit;
- Communal profit tax on taxable profit;
- Cantonal/communal capital tax on equity; and
- Direct federal corporate income tax on profit.
Unlike some cantons that publish a single “tax factor” for companies, Valais legislation provides separate cantonal and communal tariffs (profit tax brackets) and a separate capital tax schedule (per-mille rates). In addition, Valais applies cantonal indexation (a percentage applied to the cantonal tax amount) and communes apply their own communal multipliers.
This page summarises key statutory parameters for capital companies and cooperatives (sociétés de capitaux et sociétés coopératives) and shows how to interpret them in practice.
Statutory Cantonal & Communal Rates (Capital Companies & Cooperatives)
The table below summarises the core profit and capital tax parameters under Valais law. (Profit tax is progressive by tranche; capital tax is progressive by equity tranche.)
| Layer | Profit tax (statutory brackets) | Capital tax (statutory brackets) | Multipliers / indexation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canton (Valais) |
|
|
Cantonal indexation published for canton tax:
|
Cantonal statutory brackets are set in Valais tax law; indexation changes by tax year. |
| Communes (Valais) |
|
Same rates as cantonal capital tax (no CHF 200 minimum at communal level). | Communal tax is calculated by applying the commune’s multiplier to the communal amount (Valais publishes ceilings and guidance for communal multipliers). | Communal brackets apply across Valais; the effective burden varies by commune due to multipliers. |
The profit tax brackets (cantonal and communal), capital tax brackets, and minimum tax rules are set out in Valais tax law and summarised in the federal “Feuille cantonale Valais” (state: September 2025). Use the official Valais enterprise calculator to model your specific commune and year.
Effective Combined Tax Burden
Cantonal/communal + federal
The effective corporate income tax rate in Valais results from stacking:
- Valais cantonal profit tax (progressive, with cantonal indexation);
- Valais communal profit tax (progressive, with the commune’s multiplier); and
- Swiss direct federal corporate income tax at 8.5% on profit after tax (≈ 7.83% on profit before tax due to deductibility).
In practice, the combined rate depends heavily on (i) your profit level (because Valais uses brackets), (ii) the commune (multiplier), and (iii) reliefs such as participation relief, patent box and R&D deductions.
Illustrative example
Assume a standard capital company in Valais with:
- Taxable profit before tax: CHF 1,000,000;
- No special regimes or participation relief; and
- A typical commune multiplier.
You will usually see the federal layer (≈7.83% pre-tax) as a substantial fixed component, while the Valais cantonal + communal component depends on the bracket and multipliers.
For precise numbers by year and commune, use:
- The official Valais enterprise tax calculator, and
- The hub’s own Valais tax calculator.
The values above are illustrative and do not replace a formal calculation or tax ruling. For investment decisions or group structuring, model the current tax year and the actual commune.
Minimum Tax & Special Statuses
Minimum tax (impôt minimum)
Valais applies a minimum tax based on gross receipts for companies operating a business. It is due in lieu of profit and capital tax if it is higher than the ordinary profit/capital tax.
- Tax base: gross receipts, reduced by CHF 500,000.
- Rates:
- 1.2‰ on gross receipts from retail trade;
- 0.3‰ on other gross receipts.
- Certain concessionary public transport enterprises may be exempt.
For start-ups, low-margin businesses, or loss-making phases, this minimum tax can become the binding burden.
Special statuses & reliefs
As in other cantons, legacy privileged regimes (e.g. old holding/domiciliary/mixed concepts) were transformed in the context of Swiss corporate tax reform, with more emphasis on instruments such as:
- Participation relief for qualifying dividends and capital gains;
- Patent box and R&D super-deductions (subject to cantonal design and caps); and
- Capital tax relief: Valais reduces capital tax on equity attributable to participations, patents and certain group loans.
For material structures, advance tax rulings are commonly used to confirm the applicable rate mix and relief caps.
Modelling Tools & Calculators
To quantify the tax burden for a specific company in Valais, use a combination of official and independent tools:
| Tool | What it does | How to use it for Valais |
|---|---|---|
| Valais enterprise tax calculator (official) | Estimates cantonal/communal and federal tax for companies based on profit (before tax) and equity, using the selected tax year and commune. | Select the relevant year and commune, input profit before tax and equity, then export/record results for budgeting and internal models. |
| Swiss federal / comparative tools | Benchmark corporate tax burdens across cantons and over time. | Use for canton choice and to sanity-check whether your Valais effective rate is in the expected range. |
| TaxRep Valais calculator (this hub) | Applies the hub’s assumptions for Valais profit and capital tax plus federal tax to your figures. | See the calculator page for a modelling view aligned with the explanations in the corporate tax and capital tax sections. |
Planning Considerations
| Theme | Rate impact | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Commune choice in Valais | Valais uses a cantonal + communal structure; communal multipliers can materially change the total burden. | Model at the actual commune level using the official calculator; verify multiplier changes for the target year. |
| Profit level & bracket effects | Because profit tax is bracketed, the marginal cantonal/communal rate changes once profit exceeds CHF 250,000. | Model scenarios around the bracket threshold (e.g. budgeting, one-off gains, or intra-group charges). |
| Financing structure | Equity level drives capital tax; debt can reduce capital tax but may be constrained by thin-cap / hidden equity rules. | Keep shareholder loans defensible; coordinate with group financing and transfer pricing. |
| Holding / participation-heavy balance sheets | Valais provides significant capital tax reduction for equity attributable to participations (and certain IP / group loans). | Maintain clean allocation and documentation for participation relief and capital tax reductions; rulings can help for complex groups. |
| Minimum tax on gross receipts | For certain profiles, minimum tax can replace ordinary profit/capital tax. | Check whether your business model triggers a higher burden under the gross-receipts minimum tax. |
FAQs
What is the corporate income tax rate in Valais?
Valais uses a cantonal and a communal profit tax tariff for capital companies and cooperatives. Cantonal profit tax applies at 2.25% up to CHF 250,000 and 5.2% above; communal profit tax applies at 2.75% up to CHF 250,000 and 6.75% above. In addition, Valais applies cantonal indexation and communes apply multipliers. On top of cantonal/communal tax, companies pay Swiss direct federal corporate income tax at 8.5% on profit after tax (≈7.83% before tax).
What is the capital tax rate for companies in Valais?
Valais capital tax for capital companies and cooperatives is progressive: 1.0‰ up to CHF 500,000 equity and 2.5‰ above. A cantonal minimum capital tax of CHF 200 applies (the communal minimum does not). The effective capital tax can be reduced for qualifying participations, certain IP, and specified group loans.
How does the Valais minimum tax work?
Valais applies a minimum tax calculated on gross receipts (after a CHF 500,000 reduction). The rate is 1.2‰ for retail gross receipts and 0.3‰ for other gross receipts. It is due in lieu of profit and capital tax if it is higher than the ordinary amount.
Are the same rates used for all companies in Valais?
The statutory brackets apply generally to capital companies and cooperatives, but the effective rate can change materially depending on the commune multiplier, the profit level (brackets), participation relief, and other STAF-era relief instruments (e.g. patent box / R&D deductions where applicable).
Where can I check the current year’s rates for my commune?
The most practical source is the official Valais enterprise tax calculator, which lets you select the tax year and commune and model profit and equity. For cross-cantonal comparisons, combine that with comparative tools and, for material decisions, consider confirming the assumptions via professional advice or a ruling.
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