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🇨🇭 Countries · current to October 2026

Switzerland, for a high earner.

10 addresses in Switzerland on the Patrician.ch board, ranked by what a $1M earner keeps. Zug leads at 21%.

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In short, current to October 2026

  • On $1,000,000 of income, Zug keeps the most in Switzerland, $787K after an effective 21%. Montreux keeps $589K at 41%.
  • None of the 10 addresses in Switzerland taxes a resident's capital gains on listed securities.
  • A wealth tax applies at every address, top rate 0.22% to 0.86% of net assets a year.
  • Inheritance: Spouse and children exempt at 8 of the 10 addresses, children pay 5% or less in Lucerne, children taxed in Montreux.
  • 9 of the 10 addresses offer a special regime for new arrivals. At Zug: Lump sum taxation is available in Zug, one of the 21 cantons that still offer it. The tax is set on a deemed spending base, at least 7 times the rent or rental value of the home, with a federal floor of CHF 435,000 for 2026 and a Zug floor of CHF 500,000 of taxable income. Zug ordinary rates are already among the lowest in Switzerland.

Each address on this page was last checked against its official sources between and . The sources for each are named on its page.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 47 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to October 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, Switzerland for high earners 2026: 10 addresses ranked after tax, patrician.ch/countries/switzerland/, October 2026.

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By the Patrician.ch research desk · Updated 5 November 2026 · 13 min read
Ranked

10 addresses in Switzerland, by what a $1M earner keeps.

01Zug, Switzerland
Zug 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $787K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 10 of 10, schools 8 of 10
21%
02Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $724K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 10 of 10, schools 8 of 10
28%
03St. Moritz, Switzerland
St. Moritz 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $723K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 10 of 10, schools 6 of 10
28%
04Lugano, Switzerland
Lugano 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $647K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 10 of 10, schools 7 of 10
35%
05Verbier, Switzerland
Verbier 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $645K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 10 of 10, schools 6 of 10
36%
06Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $645K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 10 of 10, schools 5 of 10
36%
07Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $636K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 10 of 10, schools 9 of 10
36%
08Gstaad, Switzerland
Gstaad 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $635K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 10 of 10, schools 8 of 10
36%
09Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $600K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 9 of 10, schools 9 of 10
40%
10Montreux, Switzerland
Montreux 🇨🇭 Switzerlandkeeps $589K of $1M, gains 0%, safety 10 of 10, schools 8 of 10
41%
AddressTax on $1MKept after taxGainsWealth taxHeirsCost
Zug, SwitzerlandZug21%$787K0%0.22%Spouse and children exempt92
Lucerne, SwitzerlandLucerne28%$724K0%0.22%Children pay 5% or less92
St. Moritz, SwitzerlandSt. Moritz28%$723K0%0.25%Spouse and children exempt125
Lugano, SwitzerlandLugano35%$647K0%0.45%Spouse and children exempt95
Verbier, SwitzerlandVerbier36%$645K0%0.60%Spouse and children exempt118
Zermatt, SwitzerlandZermatt36%$645K0%0.60%Spouse and children exempt120
Zurich, SwitzerlandZurich36%$636K0%0.64%Spouse and children exempt100
Gstaad, SwitzerlandGstaad36%$635K0%0.50%Spouse and children exempt120
Geneva, SwitzerlandGeneva40%$600K0%0.86%Spouse and children exempt104
Montreux, SwitzerlandMontreux41%$589K0%0.75%Children taxed100

Simplified marginal model, indicative 2026 brackets, non-US single filer. Wealth tax is the top rate. Cost is the Patrician.ch index where Zurich is 100.

Who gets in

The route into Switzerland.

EU and Swiss nationals register on arrival. Others need a quota permit or the lump sum route.

Founder & talent · 10 of 10Lump sum residence · 9 of 10

Switzerland has a Henley 2026 Wealth Mobility score of 70.8 out of 100. All 66 passports, ranked.

The regime for new arrivals.

Zug. Lump sum taxation is available in Zug, one of the 21 cantons that still offer it. The tax is set on a deemed spending base, at least 7 times the rent or rental value of the home, with a federal floor of CHF 435,000 for 2026 and a Zug floor of CHF 500,000 of taxable income. Zug ordinary rates are already among the lowest in Switzerland

Lucerne. Lump sum taxation available in the canton of Lucerne for non working foreign residents, with a 2026 cantonal floor of 647,100 francs, the highest of the cantons on this board

St. Moritz. Lump sum taxation available in Graubünden for non working foreign residents, negotiated on living expenses rather than income

Lugano. Lump sum taxation in the canton of Ticino under Article 14 DBG, for foreign residents who do not work in Switzerland. The deemed base is the highest of 7 times your rent or imputed rental value, your actual worldwide living costs, or the 2026 floor of 435,000 francs for federal tax and 434,700 francs for Ticino cantonal tax

Verbier. Lump sum taxation in the canton of Valais under Article 14 DBG, for foreign residents who do not work in Switzerland. The deemed base is the highest of 7 times your rent or imputed rental value, your actual worldwide living costs, or the 2026 floor of 435,000 francs for federal tax and 250,000 francs for Valais cantonal tax

Zermatt. Lump sum taxation in the canton of Valais under Article 14 DBG, for foreign residents who do not work in Switzerland. The deemed base is the highest of 7 times your rent or imputed rental value, your actual worldwide living costs, or the 2026 floor of 435,000 francs for federal tax and 250,000 francs for Valais cantonal tax

Gstaad. Lump sum taxation in the canton of Bern under Article 14 DBG, for foreign residents who do not work in Switzerland. The deemed base is the highest of 7 times your rent or imputed rental value, your actual worldwide living costs, or the 2026 floor of 435,000 francs for federal tax and 400,000 francs for Bern cantonal tax

Geneva. Lump sum taxation is available in Geneva, on a deemed spending base of at least 7 times the rent or rental value of the home, with a 2026 floor of CHF 435,000 for federal tax and CHF 426,357 for Geneva cantonal tax. No gainful activity in Switzerland, and not Swiss tax resident in the previous 10 years

Montreux. Lump sum taxation in the canton of Vaud under Article 14 DBG, the Riviera vaudoise has hosted it for a century. The deemed base is the highest of 7 times your rent or imputed rental value, your actual worldwide living costs, or the 2026 floor of 435,000 francs for federal tax and 415,000 francs for Vaud cantonal tax

Every regime for new arrivals, compared

Swiss lump sum tax vs Italy's flat tax, side by side

Keep reading

Switzerland, head to head.

Zug, SwitzerlandZurich, Switzerland
Zug vs ZurichHead to head
Zug, SwitzerlandGeneva, Switzerland
Zug vs GenevaHead to head
Zurich, SwitzerlandLucerne, Switzerland
Zurich vs LucerneHead to head
Zurich, SwitzerlandGstaad, Switzerland
Zurich vs GstaadHead to head
Zug, SwitzerlandLucerne, Switzerland
Zug vs LucerneHead to head
Geneva, SwitzerlandMontreux, Switzerland
Geneva vs MontreuxHead to head
Geneva, SwitzerlandVerbier, Switzerland
Geneva vs VerbierHead to head
Lugano, SwitzerlandSt. Moritz, Switzerland
Lugano vs St. MoritzHead to head
Lugano, SwitzerlandZermatt, Switzerland
Lugano vs ZermattHead to head
Questions

The short answers.

Where should a high earner live in Switzerland?

On a $1,000,000 income, Zug keeps the most in Switzerland, $787K after 21% income tax. Lucerne follows at 28%, and Montreux keeps the least at 41%.

Ties on tax are broken by the Patrician.ch engine score at its default weights (safety, schools, sun, beauty, cost and ease of entry). Your own income and passports can reorder the list.

How much income tax does a $1M earner pay in Switzerland?

21% to 41% effective across the 10 addresses on the Patrician.ch 2026 model, single filer, before social contributions.

9 of the 10 addresses offer a special regime for new arrivals. At Zug: Lump sum taxation is available in Zug, one of the 21 cantons that still offer it. The tax is set on a deemed spending base, at least 7 times the rent or rental value of the home, with a federal floor of CHF 435,000 for 2026 and a Zug floor of CHF 500,000 of taxable income. Zug ordinary rates are already among the lowest in Switzerland.

Does Switzerland tax capital gains?

No. None of the 10 addresses in Switzerland taxes a resident's capital gains on listed securities.

Does Switzerland have a wealth tax?

Yes, at every address. The top rate runs 0.22% to 0.86% of net assets a year.

Ticino, about 0.45% at the top in Lugano, the cantonal 0.25% with the city multiplier included.

Does Switzerland have an inheritance tax?

It depends on the address. Spouse and children exempt at 8 of the 10 addresses, children pay 5% or less in Lucerne, children taxed in Montreux.

Source: Swiss Federal Tax Administration, Homburger, Nov 2025, current to October 2026.

How does a foreigner get residence in Switzerland?

EU and Swiss nationals register on arrival.

Others need a quota permit or the lump sum route. Routes that matter for money: Founder & talent, Lump sum residence.

Are millionaires moving to Switzerland?

Yes. Switzerland saw a net inflow of 3,000 millionaires in 2025 on the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report, against +1,500 in 2024.

That is a country figure, not a city one. Henley's 2026 report published no new flow estimates, so 2025 is the latest.

The Dossier: your top 3, on your numbers.A written report on the 3 places that rank first for you, compared line by line on your income, a sale, your passports and your family. 10 chapters, written the moment you pay. Every tax figure carries its official source and the date it was last checked. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 30 November. Refunded in full within 7 days of delivery, no reason needed.
Read chapters 1 to 3, free →
Visuals

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The income tax of Zug, Lucerne, St. Moritz, Lugano, Verbier and Zermatt, side by side on 2026 rates. Your readers type their own salary and the places reorder. Free on any site, with the credit line under it.

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<p class="pc-credit" style="margin:6px 0 0;font-size:.875em;line-height:1.4">Research by <a href="https://patrician.ch/countries/switzerland/">Patrician.ch</a></p>
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Income tax on the published 2026 rules. Social contributions, most deductions and treaties are not modeled. In Switzerland employees also pay AHV, IV and EO at 5.3% of salary, with no cap. Figures are for a non-US single filer. Wealth tax, an exit and your passports are added when you run the engine on your own numbers. Not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

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