"Punch and Judy show" - "What's happening here?" Tax chaos in Valais village - citizens to pay extra

Taxpayers in St-Gingolph VS are coming under pressure: the municipality is demanding proof of payments from the last six years. The citizens are angry.

A tax dispute is plaguing the Valais municipality of St-Gingolph. At the end of 2024, residents were asked in writing to submit proof of tax payments for the last six years. The municipal administration had previously discovered that numerous amounts were either marked as unpaid or not clearly recorded. Many citizens are now faced with additional claims, some of which are considerable.

The outstanding amounts relate to the years 2018 to 2023. While some citizens are only expected to pay a few hundred francs in arrears, others are being billed tens of thousands of francs. "People have been queuing up in front of the municipal administration for weeks to prove their sincerity," one resident told the "Walliser Boten" newspaper. The claims also include invoices that have already been paid but are listed as open in the municipal systems. Other tax assessments were apparently never sent.

Citizens sharply criticize the municipal administration. One resident describes the situation as a "Punch and Judy show" and asks: "What is actually happening in our administration?" Former municipal president Damien Roch, who was in office until the end of 2024, shows understanding for the anger, but defends the procedure: "The outstanding amounts must be collected."

Administrative errors and lack of staff

Roch attributes the errors to a combination of factors. Frequent changes in the treasurer's office and the thin staffing levels in the municipal administration had led to a loss of information. "With 3.1 full-time positions, the administration is working at full capacity," emphasizes Roch. The unclear account balances had already come to light in October 2024, but they had deliberately waited so as not to influence the municipal council elections.

Roch also explained that he had initiated measures to address the errors before the end of his term of office. However, his successor Gérald Derivaz criticized the communication with the citizens: "It would have made sense to enclose an explanation to those affected. The current approach leaves an unprofessional impression."

Derivaz plans to improve the processes in the tax administration and clarify open questions promptly. He confirms that problems with the collection of taxes in St-Gingolph are not an isolated case: "I myself have received tax invoices up to a year and a half after the deadline on several occasions."