New rule for shopping tourists Customs officers warn of chaos at Swiss borders
From January, shopping abroad will become more expensive for the Swiss due to the reduction in the tax-free limit. Trade unions fear an increased workload and are calling for solutions from the Federal Council.
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- From January, Swiss shopping tourists will have to pay duty on goods worth CHF 150 or more.
- The measure is intended to support the Swiss retail trade.
- Trade unionists warn of additional costs and long queues at the border.
The federal government is lowering the duty-free limit from CHF 300 to CHF 150 from January. Anyone making purchases abroad will have to pay duty on goods worth this amount. This is intended to make crossing the border less attractive for Swiss shopping tourists.
Trade unions are now sounding the alarm: "We expect a noticeable increase in costs at the border from the beginning of the year," says Daniel Gisler, Co-President of the customs union Garanto, to "Blick".
Giorgio Fonio, a member of the National Council and trade unionist, also predicts that customs staff will be overloaded and that there will be long queues at the border. He has asked the Federal Council to take a stand in the upcoming question time.
Federal app charges too much
The federal government's Quickzoll app, which is intended to reduce the administrative burden, has also been criticized. It currently charges VAT of 8.1 percent on all goods, although a reduced rate of 2.6 percent applies to certain items such as food and medicines.
The app is not expected to be able to take the reduced VAT rate into account until 2026. Until then, travelers wishing to benefit from this rate will still have to visit the customs counter. Fonio is calling on the Federal Council to reconsider the implementation of the new regulation until the app has been adapted.
Germany abolishes de minimis limit
The Federal Council decided to lower the duty-free limit under pressure from Parliament, in particular due to the demands of the border cantons. These regions have been pushing for years for measures to combat shopping tourism, as Swiss companies suffer considerable losses in turnover when customers shop abroad.
Meanwhile, Germany has responded by announcing a digital export certificate and the abolition of the 50-euro bagatelle limit.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.