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In many countries where Swiss citizens live abroad, individual taxation of married couples has become the norm. <\/p>\n
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Across much of Europe, individual taxation has\u00a0become\u00a0the norm. On March 8, Swiss voters will decide whether to replace the current system of joint taxation of married couples with individual taxation, an\u00a0approach already familiar to most Swiss living abroad.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
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February 24, 2026 – 09:00\n<\/p>\n
In\u00a0Mexico, \u201cwe are taxed based on our individual personal income. It\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0matter if your income comes from salary, dividends, rents,\u00a0etc.,\u201d wrote\u00a0Martha, who took part in\u00a0our online debate<\/a>\u00a0on the reform of taxation for married couples.\u00a0<\/p>\n >> Take part in the discussion below<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n How are married couples taxed in your country of residence? What are the pros and cons of this system? <\/p>\n On March 8, the Swiss will vote on the introduction of individual taxation for married couples. We\u2019d like to know what the system is like where you live.\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n View the discussion In Switzerland, married couples are currently taxed jointly\u00a0on the basis of\u00a0a single tax return. On March 8, the people will vote on\u00a0a reform<\/a>\u00a0which, if adopted, would require each spouse to file their own tax return. The bill, which has been approved by parliament, aims to end the so-called\u00a0\u201ctax penalty\u201d\u00a0on marriage.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ahead of the vote, we wanted to find out what systems\u00a0are in place in the different countries where Swiss citizens abroad live. The responses we received show that many are already familiar with individual taxation or live in countries that offer a choice between individual and joint taxation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Individual taxation prevails in Europe\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHere in Spain, everyone is free to choose what works out best for them\u00a0in order to\u00a0save on taxes. This is also the case in Ireland,\u201d\u00a0wrote\u00a0Don Ron.\u00a0Meanwhile,\u00a0AndrewintheAlps\u00a0gave\u00a0more detail about the Spanish system. Individual taxation, he explained, is the most\u00a0advantageous\u00a0option\u00a0if both spouses have similar, medium to high salaries. Joint taxation is worthwhile,\u00a0however, if one of the spouses has no income or\u00a0a very low\u00a0income.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Germany has a similar system,\u00a0as\u00a0one contributor to the debate explains. Married couples and registered partners can choose whether they want to be taxed individually or jointly. In the latter case, a mechanism known as\u00a0\u201cmarital splitting\u201d\u00a0applies, whereby the couple\u2019s income is added together and then divided by two to calculate the tax rate. The greater the disparity in earnings, the greater the tax benefits.\u00a0This joint model, which is based on a law from the 1950s, has come under\u00a0criticismExternal link<\/a>, as in Switzerland. The Social\u00a0Democratic Party (centre-left) blames it for entrenching inequality between men and women.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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