The great egg dance, the Zurich Tax base

as of Monday, the Zurich cantonal Parliament debated in up to nine meetings over the Budget for the next year, the longer-term financial planning and the state tax rate for the years 2020 and 2021. Hot the dance around the Tax rate – also because a Surprise is possible.

as a reminder: The government had announced in the spring of 2018, the Tax rate of 2 percentage points from 100 to 98 percent. That would be the first Time since 2003. But he took back the tax reduction in September 2019 due to uncertain financial prospects.

In the financial Commission of the Kantonsrats (Fiko) seemed to have this view prevail. Fiko-President Tobias Langenegger (SP) says this year's budget debate, to stand "under the sign of the New and the Unknown". So both the government and the Parliament have made Decisions recently that go into the money, but not yet budgeted. "In the sense of a sustainable, forward-looking fiscal policy as long as the EGGER, the Fiko, therefore, for a Tax rate of 100 percent,".

6:5 and against tax reduction

eleven-Fiko-members were six for a tax from permanent foot (2 SP, 2 GLP, 1 Green, 1 CVP), two for 99 percent (FDP), and three for 98 percent (SVP).

Together with the EPP and AL, not sitting in the Fiko, the center-left Alliance in the BIC plenary loosely on a majority. But now a movement in the tax Bazaar. FDP faction President Beatrix Frey-Eigenmann "expected of the civil CVP and the financial and political open-GLP", that they revise their positions.

GLP is split

in fact, liberal internal discussions are going on in the green – I can understand that the compromise proposal is 99% original from them. The group is now, but against a tax cut, says group chief Michael witness. A minority consider a slight reduction of 1 per cent, but as is feasible, and will vote accordingly. "That in the current Budget, but a big game room, shows the SP-application for an additional 100 million for the benefit of the state staff," says a witness.

On the CVP, the FDP but. "A tax reduction would be desirable. But it is not the right time," says CVP group President Yvonne Bürgin. There are too many open questions, for example, because of corporate tax reform. In addition, the CVP will receive a financial scope for an Initiative required increase in the premium subsidies. Bürgin finds that tax incentives are more likely to be in the communities, since various Decisions of the Parliament of the Canton, in addition to strain, and in turn, the municipalities relieve. To do this, for example, the higher contributions to the music schools (10 million), the new social load balancing (200 million) or the new road funding ($90 million) count. The latter two templates, however, still before the people, as authorities referendums have been taken.

SVP could move

of The SVP request for a reduction to 98 percent, with neither the FDP, GLP, or, the CVP is an issue. The SVP is holding still at your request, says the Group's Chairman, Martin Handsome. After the municipalities, companies, and churches were provided with various templates better financially, were now the Zurich households on it. "That was a promise," says Pretty. He does not exclude, however, the SVP-application to withdraw.

Then it will be tight: reach SVP and the FDP to 99 percent and a part of the GLP group, they come up to just under half of the 180 votes. In the case of a stalemate, President of the Council Dieter Kläy (FDP), for example, would train, would certainly opt for the tax cut.

with the tax cut, want to SP and the greens reject the Budget. "It is also with a Tax rate of 100 percent is tight," says Robert Brunner (Green). "Everything else is irresponsible." From the perspective of the Left, the FDP, there are contradictions. This call for a positive Budget to speak of, but at the same time for the SME initiative of the Young liberals. The Initiative comes at 9. February in front of people, would cost in the Canton of 350 million or more than 5 percent – and the financial budget in arge oblique position. Frey-Eigenmann admits that the timing of the Initiative is due to the financial perspectives of "difficult". Worthy of support it was because she wanted to compensate for the shortcomings of the present tax system, such as the inter-cantonal comparison to high Progression for high income earners. "Yes, the Holding of the tax base but is actually a challenge," says Frey-Eigenmann.

CHF 49 and save

tax cuts are popular, one would think. However, the küsnacht said inner and Küsnachter recently no to a 3-percent reduction. Also a previously unpublished survey of the "Tages-Anzeiger" shows that the Voters look at it differently this topic. Of the 3000 Participants, 53 percent said in September no, or rather no to a reduction of the cantonal tax base. Only 44 percent saw a scope for such a step. While the supporters of SVP and the FDP are for a tax reduction, the electorate of SP, Green, and GLP clearly against it.

A 1-per-cent tax reduction has a small effect for normal households. A married Couple with a taxable income of CHF 100’000 would pay 49 francs less, a Single with 75’000 CHF income CHF 40 less. A tax percentage is equal to 65 million francs to the state budget.

Greta-Green and Lex Jositsch

The tax rate decision at the end of the budget debate, expected on the evening of the 17. December. Prior to that, the cantonal Parliament is to talk a lot about budget items. It has to decide on investments of about 1.3 billion Swiss francs, an estimate of nearly 16.4 billion to. That's almost 800 million more than in the current year, mainly due to increased personnel and General and administrative expenses for University, University-hospital, public school, ZVV and properties fall into the weight. Also, the expenditure for social assistance and the reduction in the cost of health insurance premiums to rise. For the Latter, figures of the Federal government and the Canton for the first time, more than 1 billion.

The revenue increase in the same Mass, which has to do with higher tax income and higher revenues from University hospital, cantonal hospital Winterthur, Uni, ZVV, as well as the Federal government for health insurance premiums. According to the proposal of the Executive Council, a small increase of 2 million resulting in the balance of income and expenditure. The Fiko has increased the Income with a variety of corrections to be 55 million. The difference of 53 million, corresponds to 0.0003 percent of the budget.

It's the last positive the Canton is expected to budget for a longer period of time. The government expects deficits of 200 to 500 million in the years 2021 to 2023. As of now, only the SVP rejects the Budget in 2020, because the taxes are not lowered.

More than 110 applications

to be Dealt with in the next two weeks, over 50 minority applications, as well as more than 60 so-called KEF-explanations. These explanations with respect to the Consolidated development and financial plan relate to the distant future and budget are not directly relevant. One of these KEF Declaration calls for, for example, the reduction in the CO2 emissions per capita in the Canton of Zurich as of today 4.5 tonnes to 3.9 tonnes in the year 2023. "Here we are Greta in terms of on-the-go," says Fiko-member Robert Brunner (Green), whose party has submitted the proposal with the SP.

The Budget increases, cuts in wages for State employees, the premiums, subsidies, investments in education or job growth in privacy concerns for discussion. In the middle of the budget debate, by the way, the successor or the successor to the long-term data protection Commissioner Bruno Baeriswyl is selected. He or she is not likely to receive how to apply for three new employees, but only one.

100 million for staff?

That much is changed on the Fiko-Budget, is not to be expected. Red green 100-million-calls for more staff, which is just as unrealistic as the GLP and the Greens proposed 52-million reduction in the budget of the hospitals.

As the chance a kind of Lex Jositsch is. The SVP wants to delete the Sabbaticals of University professors, which can be interpreted as a late result of the Council of States election campaign. SVP-candidate Roger Köppel had claimed polemically that the taxpayer financed the election campaign of the SP candidate Daniel Jositsch, because the criminal law Professor this fall is on a Sabbatical. "That was actually disturbing," says SVP-group chief Pretty, the put in perspective the Jositsch-Konnex but: "The Sabbatical proposal we bring for the first Time." (pu)

Created: 05.12.2019, 19:48 PM