Thurgau Wealth Tax Cases

Thurgau Wealth Tax: Cases & Worked Examples

Illustrative computations showing how Thurgau’s proportional 1.1‰ wealth tax and commune-specific tax rates apply in practice for common resident and nonresident profiles.

The canton of Thurgau applies a proportional wealth tax: the simple cantonal rate is a flat 1.1‰ (0.11%) on taxable net wealth. The final burden is obtained by multiplying the simple tax by the relevant overall tax rate (Steuerfuss), which reflects the canton and the commune.

In practice this yields effective wealth tax rates mostly in the ≈ 0.20–0.30% range of net wealth, depending on the commune. Typical Steuerfüsse (without church tax) are around 2.4–2.7 times the simple tax in larger centres such as Frauenfeld, Kreuzlingen, Amriswil and Romanshorn.

Wealth tax allowances (rounded) are: CHF 100,000 for single taxpayers, CHF 200,000 for jointly taxed couples and CHF 100,000 per child. The examples below use indicative 2025-style values and rounded factors for planning illustration only.

All numbers rounded; church tax ignored. Very high net wealth may be subject to an additional supplementary wealth tax that is not modelled here in full detail.

Case A — Single Professional in Frauenfeld

Commune: Frauenfeld (cantonal capital; mid-range to slightly higher Steuerfuss)
Assets: CHF 1,000,000 (listed securities & cash)
Liabilities: none
Allowance: CHF 100,000 (single)

Net wealth	CHF 1,000,000
Less allowance	− CHF 100,000
Taxable net wealth	CHF 900,000
Simple wealth tax (1.1‰)	≈ CHF 990
Overall tax rate (Steuerfuss Frauenfeld)	≈ ×2.55
Wealth tax due	≈ CHF 2,525
Effective rate	≈ 0.25% of net wealth

Observation: At CHF 1m of financial wealth, Frauenfeld’s proportional system produces a modest but visible burden; there is no rate increase at higher wealth levels, only linear scaling.

Case B — Married Couple with Two Children in Kreuzlingen

Commune: Kreuzlingen (Lakeside; slightly above-average Steuerfuss)
Assets: CHF 2,800,000 (family home + portfolios)
Liabilities: CHF 900,000 mortgage
Allowances: CHF 200,000 (married) + CHF 200,000 (two children) = CHF 400,000

Net wealth	CHF 1,900,000
Less allowances	− CHF 400,000
Taxable wealth	CHF 1,500,000
Simple wealth tax (1.1‰)	CHF 1,650
Overall tax rate (Steuerfuss Kreuzlingen)	≈ ×2.60
Estimated wealth tax	≈ CHF 4,290
Effective rate	≈ 0.23% of net wealth

Planning angle: Because the Thurgau tariff is flat, the main levers are (i) how much mortgage reduces net wealth and (ii) the commune’s Steuerfuss. There is no hidden progression at higher wealth levels.

Case C — Entrepreneur with Private Company Shares in Amriswil

Commune: Amriswil (industrial/service town; mid-range Steuerfuss)
Unlisted shares: CHF 3,500,000 (valued under practitioner method)
Other assets: CHF 700,000 (cash & listed portfolios)
Liabilities: CHF 1,500,000 (business and private loans)
Filing status: Married, no children (allowance CHF 200,000)

Gross assets	CHF 4,200,000
Less liabilities	− CHF 1,500,000
Net wealth	CHF 2,700,000
Less allowance	− CHF 200,000
Taxable wealth	CHF 2,500,000
Simple wealth tax (1.1‰)	≈ CHF 2,750
Overall tax rate (Steuerfuss Amriswil)	≈ ×2.65
Total wealth tax	≈ CHF 7,290
Effective rate	≈ 0.27% of net wealth

Assumes standard treatment of private company participations. In practice, specific reliefs or valuation adjustments may apply depending on the nature of the shareholding.

Planning angle: For entrepreneurs, Thurgau’s proportional system makes the annual cost of additional net wealth highly predictable. The key optimisation levers are balance-sheet structure (debt vs. equity) and commune choice.

Case D — Nonresident Owning a Lakeside Property in Romanshorn

Tax nexus: Nonresident with Thurgau property only
Property value: CHF 1,200,000 (wealth-tax value)
Mortgage: CHF 800,000 (loan economically tied to the property)
Commune: Romanshorn (Lake Constance; moderate Steuerfuss)
Other Swiss assets: none
Allowance: CHF 100,000 (single allowance allocated to TG; simplified)

Swiss-situs net wealth	CHF 400,000
Less allowance (simplified)	− CHF 100,000
Taxable Swiss-situs wealth	CHF 300,000
Simple wealth tax (1.1‰)	≈ CHF 330
Overall tax rate (Steuerfuss Romanshorn)	≈ ×2.60
Estimated wealth tax	≈ CHF 860
Effective rate on Swiss-situs wealth	≈ 0.22%

Tip: For nonresidents, Thurgau taxes only Thurgau-situs wealth. Debt is deductible only to the extent it is economically linked to the Thurgau property; global portfolios remain relevant mainly in the country of residence.

Case E — Comparison: Frauenfeld vs. Kreuzlingen vs. Diessenhofen

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

	Frauenfeld	Kreuzlingen	Diessenhofen (lower-tax example)
Simple wealth tax (1.1‰ of CHF 2,000,000)	CHF 2,200
Indicative overall factor (Steuerfuss)	≈ ×2.55	≈ ×2.60	≈ ×2.40
Total wealth tax	≈ CHF 5,610	≈ CHF 5,720	≈ CHF 5,280
Effective rate (on taxable wealth)	≈ 0.28%	≈ 0.29%	≈ 0.26%
Annual difference	Spread of roughly CHF 400–450 per year between a higher-tax centre and a lower-tax commune at identical taxable wealth

Note: With a flat 1.1‰ tariff, Thurgau’s intra-canton planning margin comes almost entirely from the communal Steuerfuss and the amount of deductible debt. There is no progressive step-up at higher wealth.

Key Takeaways

Thurgau applies a proportional 1.1‰ wealth tax on taxable net wealth, with no progression by wealth band.
Effective wealth tax rates are typically in the 0.20–0.30% range of net wealth, depending mainly on the commune’s Steuerfuss.
Standard allowances (CHF 100,000 single / CHF 200,000 married / CHF 100,000 per child) mean that modest wealth is very lightly taxed.
Mortgages and other deductible liabilities reduce taxable net wealth linearly, making leverage an important planning tool for property owners.
Entrepreneurs should focus on valuation of private company participations and balance-sheet structure; additional net wealth has a highly predictable annual cost.
Nonresidents are taxed only on Thurgau-situs wealth; proper allocation of debt to Thurgau property can materially influence the Swiss wealth tax base.
At very high levels of wealth, supplementary wealth tax provisions may become relevant and should be tested with the official calculator and current cantonal guidance.