Grisons Wealth Tax Cases

Grisons / Graubünden Wealth Tax: Cases & Worked Examples

Illustrative computations showing how Graubünden’s cantonal wealth tax and municipal tax rates (Steuerfüsse) interact across communes such as Chur, St. Moritz, Ilanz/Glion and Sils im Domleschg.

In the canton of Grisons (Graubünden), individuals pay a cantonal wealth tax on taxable net wealth. The resulting simple cantonal tax is multiplied by the cantonal tax rate and by each commune’s municipal tax rate (Steuerfuss) to arrive at the final bill. Municipal tax rates vary substantially between mountain resorts, regional centres and small villages.

Comparative data for 2024 put Chur’s maximum marginal wealth tax burden (canton + commune) around 3.1‰, with lower values in steuergünstige communes and somewhat higher values in a handful of rural municipalities. This translates into typical effective rates in the 0.20–0.35% range of net wealth for many households. The cases below use indicative 2025-style figures for illustration only. For precise results, use the cantonal tax calculator and the official tariff tables.

All numbers rounded; church tax ignored. Rates and factors approximate and for planning illustration only.

Case A — Single Professional in Chur (Cantonal Capital)

Commune: Chur (capital; municipal tax rate ≈ 88% of simple cantonal tax)
Assets: CHF 1,100,000 (listed securities & cash)
Liabilities: none
Allowance: CHF 80,000 (single, rounded)

Net wealth	CHF 1,100,000
Less allowance	− CHF 80,000
Taxable net wealth	CHF 1,020,000
Cantonal simple wealth tax	≈ 0.13% → ≈ CHF 1,330
Combined cantonal & municipal factor	≈ ×1.80 (cantonal + communal share, excl. churches)
Wealth tax due	≈ CHF 2,400
Effective rate	≈ 0.22% of net wealth

Observation: At around CHF 1m of financial wealth, Chur’s wealth tax is materially lower than Basel-Stadt or Geneva, but above the lightest central-Swiss cantons.

Case B — Married Couple with Two Children in St. Moritz (Low-Tax Resort)

Commune: St. Moritz (municipal tax rate ≈ 60% of simple cantonal tax)
Assets: CHF 3,500,000 (primary residence + portfolios)
Liabilities: CHF 1,500,000 mortgage
Allowances: CHF 200,000 (married couple + children add-ons, rounded)

Net wealth	CHF 2,000,000
Less allowances	− CHF 200,000
Taxable wealth	CHF 1,800,000
Cantonal simple wealth tax	≈ 0.14% → ≈ CHF 2,520
Combined cantonal & municipal factor	≈ ×1.55
Estimated tax	≈ CHF 3,910
Effective rate	≈ 0.20% of net wealth

Planning angle: The combination of a substantial mortgage and a low municipal tax rate makes St. Moritz comparatively attractive from a wealth tax perspective, despite its high property values.

Case C — Entrepreneur with Private Company Shares in Sils im Domleschg (Higher-Tax Commune)

Commune: Sils im Domleschg (municipal tax rate ≈ 110% of simple cantonal tax)
Unlisted shares: CHF 4,000,000 (practitioner-method valuation)
Other assets: CHF 1,000,000 (cash & listed portfolios)
Liabilities: CHF 1,400,000 (business and private loans)
Filing status: Married, no children

Net wealth	CHF 3,600,000
Less allowances	− CHF 160,000
Taxable wealth	CHF 3,440,000
Cantonal simple wealth tax	≈ 0.14% → ≈ CHF 4,820
Combined cantonal & municipal factor	≈ ×2.05
Total wealth tax	≈ CHF 9,880
Effective rate	≈ 0.27% of net wealth

Assumes stable practitioner-method valuation for the private company and no special relief beyond standard Graubünden practice.

Planning angle: For entrepreneurs, both the valuation of private participations and the choice of a lower-tax commune (e.g. Chur, St. Moritz or Arosa) can significantly influence the annual bill.

Case D — Nonresident Owning a Holiday Apartment in Arosa

Tax nexus: Nonresident with Graubünden property only
Property value: CHF 1,400,000 (wealth-tax value)
Mortgage: CHF 950,000 (loan economically tied to the property)
Commune: Arosa (municipal tax rate ≈ 90% of simple cantonal tax)
Other Swiss assets: none

Swiss-situs net wealth	CHF 450,000
Cantonal simple wealth tax	≈ 0.13% → ≈ CHF 585
Combined cantonal & municipal factor	≈ ×1.85
Estimated wealth tax	≈ CHF 1,080
Effective rate on Swiss-situs wealth	≈ 0.24%

Tip: For nonresidents, only the mortgage economically linked to the Graubünden property is deductible in the cantonal computation. Global assets and debts may still be relevant in the country of residence or other cantons.

Case E — Comparison: Chur vs. St. Moritz vs. Sils im Domleschg

Single taxpayer with CHF 2,000,000 taxable net wealth (after allowances and debts)

	Chur (municipal ≈ 88%)	St. Moritz (municipal ≈ 60%)	Sils i. D. (municipal ≈ 110%)
Cantonal simple wealth tax	≈ CHF 2,700	≈ CHF 2,700	≈ CHF 2,700
Indicative combined factor	≈ ×1.80	≈ ×1.55	≈ ×2.05
Total wealth tax	≈ CHF 4,860	≈ CHF 4,190	≈ CHF 5,540
Effective rate (on taxable wealth)	≈ 0.24%	≈ 0.21%	≈ 0.28%
Annual difference	Spread of roughly CHF 1,350 per year between St. Moritz and Sils im Domleschg at identical taxable wealth

Note: The cantonal tariff is uniform, but municipal tax rates — from low-tax resorts like St. Moritz to higher-tax rural communes — create a meaningful range of effective burdens within Graubünden.

Key Takeaways

Graubünden is a low-to-mid wealth tax canton, with effective rates typically around 0.20–0.35% of net wealth for many resident taxpayers.
Municipal tax rates (Steuerfüsse) are a key differentiator: Chur and St. Moritz are relatively moderate to low, while some small communes are higher.
Mortgages and other deductible liabilities reduce taxable net wealth directly and are especially relevant for property owners and entrepreneurs.
For holders of private company participations, consistent practitioner-method valuations and good documentation are critical drivers of the wealth tax base.
Nonresidents are taxed only on Graubünden-situs wealth; the allocation of debt to Swiss property is central to planning.
Comparing communes within Graubünden can reveal several hundred to over a thousand francs of annual difference at higher wealth levels — modest individually, but significant over time.