At its meeting on 9 June 2017, the Federal Council approved the key points of tax proposal 17 (SV17).

Following the rejection of the Corporate Tax Reform III (USR III) in the referendum of 12 February 2017, the Federal Council launched a new reform proposal and entrusted the steering committee consisting of representatives of the Confederation and the cantons with the task of drawing up reform proposals that were submitted to the Federal Council on 1 June 2017 (see our contribution of 1 June 2017).

According to a press release issued by the Federal Council on 9 June 2017, the Federal Department of Finance (FDF) has now been instructed to prepare a consultation draft on SV17 by September 2017. The Federal Council plans to discuss the dispatch on SV17 probably in spring 2018. At that time it will also decide on a possible staging of the proposals.

According to the media release, the Federal Council has essentially adopted the recommendations of the steering body in its deliberations on the SV17 benchmarks. However, the cantonal share of direct federal tax is to be increased to 20.5% - instead of 21.2% as recommended by the steering body (see also the NZZ article of 9 June 2017).