Wealth tax in Schaffhausen is levied on your taxable net wealth at 31 December. Taxable net wealth is your worldwide assets (for residents), minus deductible debts and social deductions. For wealth tax purposes, you first determine the simple cantonal wealth tax using a progressive per-mille tariff; that simple tax is then multiplied by the cantonal tax rate and your municipality’s tax rate (Gemeindesteuerfuss). Recognised churches levy additional percentages on the same base.

The formula commonly used in practice is:
Wealth tax ≈ Taxable wealth × wealth tax rate (‰) × (cantonal tax rate + municipal tax rate).
In recent years the cantonal tax rate has been around 81%, while municipal rates for natural persons generally range from about 60% to just over 115%, depending on the commune.:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} Comparative tables place the effective wealth tax in the city of Schaffhausen at roughly 0.26% of taxable wealth at CHF 1 million and around 0.39% at CHF 5 million.

Cantonal Progressive Wealth Tax Tariff (Simple Tax)

The simple cantonal wealth tax (100%) in Schaffhausen is determined by a progressive per-mille tariff. The current legal schedule (applicable since 2022) is:​:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

• 0.9‰ on the first CHF 350,000 of taxable net wealth
• 1.9‰ on the next CHF 400,000 (CHF 350,001–750,000)
• 2.95‰ on the next CHF 1,000,000 (CHF 750,001–1,750,000)
• 2.3‰ on taxable wealth above CHF 1,750,000 (uniform marginal rate)

Before the tariff is applied, a social deduction is granted: typically CHF 100,000 for married couples in unbroken marriage and CHF 50,000 for other taxpayers, plus child deductions (commonly around CHF 30,000 per minor child).:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} Below the combined deduction, no wealth tax is due.

The table below shows illustrative simple cantonal tax amounts at selected levels of taxable net wealth (after social deductions, before applying cantonal and municipal tax rates).

Figures above are rounded and are for the simple cantonal wealth tax at 100%, not yet multiplied by cantonal or municipal tax rates. For filing, use the official Schaffhausen wealth tax tables or the tax calculator for the relevant year.

Cantonal & Municipal Tax Rates (Steuerfüsse)

Once the simple wealth tax is known, the actual cantonal and communal wealth tax is obtained by multiplying by the applicable Steuerfüsse (tax rates in % of the simple tax):

Total wealth tax (excl. church) ≈ Simple tax × (Cantonal Steuerfuss + Municipal Steuerfuss).

For the 2024 tax period, the cantonal Steuerfuss for natural persons is published at around 81% of the simple tax. Municipal Steuerfüsse for natural persons range roughly from the low-60s to around 115–117% according to the official list of municipal tax rates and external summaries.:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4} This implies a combined cantonal + communal multiple typically in the range of ~1.4× to ~1.9× the simple wealth tax (excluding church).

*Combined multiple refers to the factor applied to the simple wealth tax (100%) for cantonal and municipal wealth tax combined, excluding any church taxes. Actual Steuerfüsse are set annually and may differ by tax year and taxpayer category.

Combined Effective Burden — Examples

For residents of Schaffhausen, the combined cantonal and municipal wealth tax (excluding church) can be approximated as:
Total wealth tax ≈ Simple wealth tax × (Cantonal Steuerfuss + Municipal Steuerfuss).

The examples below use the indicative simple tax from the cantonal tariff and compare a lower-tax setting with a combined multiple of about 1.60× (e.g. capital city or low-tax commune), against a higher-tax setting with about 1.90× (e.g. high-rate rural commune). They assume taxable net wealth already reflects allowances and ignore church tax.

These bands are consistent with independent comparisons that place the city of Schaffhausen around 0.26% of taxable wealth at CHF 1 million and approximately 0.39% at CHF 5 million, excluding church tax and special reliefs.

Notes & Caveats

• Allowances & social deductions: Social deductions (typically CHF 100,000 for married couples, CHF 50,000 for others, plus child deductions) reduce taxable net wealth before the per-mille tariff is applied. Below the combined allowance, no cantonal or communal wealth tax is due. See Allowances & Deductions.
• Debt reduces the base: Mortgages, investment loans and other enforceable debts outstanding on 31 December are deductible from gross assets in determining net wealth. Where assets are held in several cantons or abroad, wealth is allocated via interkantonale Steuerausscheidung. See Allowances.
• Valuation rules: Bankable assets are generally valued at year-end market value. Real estate is taken at the official tax value; business assets and private company shares follow the valuation methods used for income tax and wealth tax. See Valuation Rules.
• Church tax: Church taxes are levied as additional Steuerfüsse (percentages of the simple tax) by recognised religious communities. They are not included in the numerical examples above and apply only to members.
• Year-specific changes: The cantonal tariff, social deductions and Steuerfüsse can be adjusted by legislation or annual budget decisions (including recent reforms for 2022–2024). Always confirm the current tariff, Steuerfüsse and allowances for the tax year you are modelling using the official Schaffhausen publications or ESTV tax calculator.