St. Gallen Wealth Tax Rates
St. Gallen Wealth Tax: Rates & Municipal Multipliers
St. Gallen uses a simple, flat wealth tax rate of 1.7‰ on taxable net wealth, multiplied by a 105% cantonal tax and each commune’s tax rate. The result is a mid-range effective burden, with the city of St. Gallen at around 0.35–0.41% of taxable wealth in typical high-net-worth bands.
Wealth tax in St. Gallen is based on your taxable net wealth at 31 December. For residents, taxable net wealth equals worldwide assets minus deductible debts and cantonal allowances. The canton applies a linear (non-progressive) simple wealth tax of 1.7‰ (0.17%) on taxable net wealth. This simple tax is then multiplied by:
- the cantonal tax rate (105% of the simple tax), and
- your municipality’s tax rate (Gemeindesteuerfuss), set as a percentage of the simple tax.
In practice, this means that the overall wealth tax is proportional to taxable wealth above the allowance, but the effective percentage varies by commune. Comparative tables place the city of St. Gallen at around 0.35% of taxable wealth at CHF 500,000 and roughly 0.40–0.41% at CHF 1–5 million (excluding church tax).
Cantonal Simple Wealth Tax (Flat 1.7‰)
Unlike cantons with progressive wealth tax bands, St. Gallen applies a flat simple rate:
- Simple wealth tax: 1.7‰ (0.17%) of taxable net wealth per year
- Linear tariff: the rate is the same regardless of wealth level
Before the 1.7‰ rate is applied, an allowance is granted on net wealth (which depends on marital status and children). Below the combined allowance, no cantonal or communal wealth tax is due.
The table below shows the simple cantonal wealth tax (100% simple tax, before any Steuerfüsse) at selected levels of taxable net wealth. These amounts are for illustration and assume allowances have already been taken into account.
| Taxable Net Wealth (CHF) | Simple Wealth Tax @ 1.7‰ (CHF) | Approx. Average Cantonal % |
|---|---|---|
| Up to allowance threshold | 0 | 0% |
| 100,000 | ≈ 170 | 0.17% |
| 500,000 | ≈ 850 | 0.17% |
| 1,000,000 | ≈ 1,700 | 0.17% |
| 3,000,000 | ≈ 5,100 | 0.17% |
These amounts represent only the simple cantonal wealth tax (100%). Actual cantonal and municipal tax is higher once the cantonal and communal Steuerfüsse are applied.
Cantonal & Municipal Tax Rates (Steuerfüsse)
The actual wealth tax payable in St. Gallen is determined by multiplying the simple tax by the cantonal Steuerfuss and your commune’s municipal Steuerfuss:
Total wealth tax (excl. church) ≈ Simple wealth tax × (Cantonal Steuerfuss + Municipal Steuerfuss).
Key parameters:
- Cantonal Steuerfuss: 105% of the simple tax.
- Municipal Steuerfüsse: most communes set rates between about 60% and 145% of the simple tax, depending on their budget decisions.
- This implies a combined cantonal + communal multiple generally in the range of ~1.65× to ~2.50× the simple wealth tax (excluding church tax).
External comparisons express these combined effects as an effective wealth tax rate in per-mille of taxable wealth. For 2024, a widely used comparison table reports marginal wealth tax rates of: 4.1‰ in the city of St. Gallen, 2.8‰ in low-tax Balgach and 4.3‰ in higher-tax Wartau. These correspond to roughly 0.41%, 0.28% and 0.43% of taxable wealth respectively at the top of the progression.
| Municipality (examples) | Indicative Combined Wealth Tax (‰ of wealth) | Approx. Multiple of Simple Tax* | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Gallen (city) | ≈ 4.1‰ | ≈ 2.4× (4.1 / 1.7) | Cantonal capital; effective burden around 0.35–0.41% at CHF 0.5–5 million, mid-range among Swiss capitals. |
| Balgach | ≈ 2.8‰ | ≈ 1.65× | One of the lower-tax communes; significantly below the capital’s effective rate. |
| Wartau | ≈ 4.3‰ | ≈ 2.5× | Higher-tax commune in the Rhine valley; near the upper end of the St. Gallen range. |
| Rapperswil-Jona | ≈ 3.3–3.6‰ (indicative) | ≈ 1.9–2.1× | Attractive lakeside city; moderate to slightly higher burden than low-tax Rhine communes. |
| Wil / Gossau | ≈ 3.5–3.9‰ (indicative) | ≈ 2.0–2.3× | Regional centres; around the cantonal average for effective wealth tax. |
*Approximate multiple of the 1.7‰ simple tax at higher wealth levels; values are indicative and may vary slightly by tax year and taxpayer profile. Church tax (additional Steuerfüsse for members) is excluded.
Combined Effective Burden — Examples
For St. Gallen residents, the combined cantonal and municipal wealth tax (excluding church) can be approximated as:
Total wealth tax ≈ Taxable net wealth × 1.7‰ × Combined factor, where the combined factor is the sum of the cantonal and municipal Steuerfüsse expressed as a multiple of the simple tax.
The examples below compare:
- a low-tax commune like Balgach (factor ≈ 1.65), and
- the city of St. Gallen (factor ≈ 2.40).
They assume that taxable net wealth already reflects allowances and ignore any church tax.
| Taxable Net Wealth (CHF) | Low-tax Commune (factor ≈ 1.65) | City of St. Gallen (factor ≈ 2.40) | Approx. Effective % Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500,000 | Simple: 500,000 × 1.7‰ = 850 → 850 × 1.65 ≈ CHF 1,400 | 850 × 2.40 ≈ CHF 2,040 | ~0.28% vs. ~0.41% |
| 1,000,000 | Simple: 1,000,000 × 1.7‰ = 1,700 → 1,700 × 1.65 ≈ CHF 2,800 | 1,700 × 2.40 ≈ CHF 4,080 | ~0.28% vs. ~0.41% |
| 3,000,000 | Simple: 3,000,000 × 1.7‰ = 5,100 → 5,100 × 1.65 ≈ CHF 8,415 | 5,100 × 2.40 ≈ CHF 12,240 | ~0.28% vs. ~0.41% |
These values are consistent with comparative tables that place the city of St. Gallen at around 0.35% of taxable wealth at CHF 500,000 and roughly 0.40–0.41% at CHF 1–5 million, excluding church tax and special reliefs.
Notes & Caveats
- Allowances & family situation: Private individuals benefit from cantonal wealth tax allowances depending on marital status and number of children. Below the combined allowance, no cantonal or communal wealth tax is due. See Allowances & Deductions.
- Debt reduces the base: Mortgages, margin loans and other enforceable debts outstanding on 31 December are deductible from gross assets. Where assets are located in multiple cantons or countries, taxable wealth is allocated via Steuerausscheidung. See Allowances.
- Valuation rules: Listed securities are usually valued at year-end market prices; real estate is taken at cantonal tax values; and stakes in private companies follow specific valuation methods used for wealth and income tax. See Valuation Rules.
- Church tax: Recognised religious communities levy additional Steuerfüsse that are applied to the same simple tax. These are not included in the numeric examples above and apply only to members.
- Year-specific figures: The 1.7‰ simple rate has been stable, but cantonal and municipal Steuerfüsse and allowances can be adjusted over time. Always confirm the current-year tariff and Steuerfüsse for your commune using the official St. Gallen tax publications or the cantonal tax calculator.