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On October 22, 2019, the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) published the circular "Interest rates in the area of direct federal tax for the calendar year 2020 / maximum deductions pillar 3a in the tax year 2020".

At its meeting on October 23, 2019, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the protocol of amendment to the agreement on the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and capital (DTA) with Iran.

On October 22, 2019, the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) pointed out in its technical information that athletes and sports teams residing or based abroad may become liable to pay tax in Switzerland by participating in a sporting event.

The Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has published a revised version of the overview of selected parliamentary transactions in the tax area at federal level.

The Federal Department of Finance (FDF) has decided not to pay interest for the calendar year 2020 on early payments of direct federal tax. The default and refund interest rates also remain unchanged.

At its meeting on October 9, 2019, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the approval of a protocol of amendment to the agreement on the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and capital (DTA) between Switzerland and Ukraine. The protocol implements the minimum standards for double taxation agreements and also adapts the DTA to the current treaty policy of both countries.

On October 9, 2019, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a proposal to ensure that large and highly profitable multinational companies, in particular IT companies, pay taxes (see also the report in the NZZ of October 9, 2019).

Switzerland meets international tax standards and implements them. The European Union has now also recognized this and removed Switzerland from its watch list. The change comes into force with the publication of the revised annexes in the Official Journal of the EU.

On 7 October 2019, the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) published updates to the price lists (ICTax) for Direct Federal Tax and the lists of free shares 2017, 2018 and 2019.

On September 27, 2019, the Conference of Cantonal Finance Directors (FDK) issued its position on the Federal Act on Electronic Procedures in the Tax Area (see our article from June 22, 2019).

The Documentation and Tax Information team has published the new tax folder 2018 "Liquidation gains in the event of definitive cessation of self-employment".

At its meeting on 27 September 2019, the Federal Council adopted further key figures for the reform of withholding tax. The consultation process is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2020.

On October 1, 2019, the Conference of Cantonal Directors of Finance (FDK) issued its opinion on the amendment to the FDF ordinance on the deduction of professional expenses of salaried employees for direct federal tax purposes (see our article from June 29, 2019).

The Documentation and Tax Information team, in collaboration with the Cantonal Supervision Department, has drawn up a new article on "Taxation on self-employment" for the tax information dossier.

According to the press release of the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) of 7 October 2019, the FTA has exchanged information on financial accounts with 75 states. The exchange takes place within the framework of the global standard for the automatic exchange of information (AIA).

On September 20, 2019, Switzerland and the United States of America exchanged the instruments of ratification of the protocol of amendment to their double taxation agreement in the area of taxes on income (DTA) in Bern. The protocol, which entered into force on the same day, represents a milestone in tax relations between Switzerland and the USA.

At its meeting on September 20, 2019, the Federal Council adopted the dispatches on the protocols of amendment to the double taxation agreements (DTAs) with Ireland and Korea. The protocols implement the minimum standards for DTAs. An arbitration clause will also be included in the DTA with Ireland. Both dispatches were referred to the Federal Assembly.

On September 9, 2019, the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) published adjustments to the price lists (ICTax) relating to direct federal tax and the 2017, 2018 and 2019 bonus share lists.

Now that the automatic exchange of information (AEOI) is already a reality in international relations and the first data was sent to and from Switzerland last year (see our article from October 7, 2018), the Bernese Government Council is supporting the submission of a cantonal initiative by the Canton of Bern to enable the exchange of financial data within Switzerland (see also the report in the Berner Zeitung from August 19, 2019).

After the "Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing" (TRAF) was approved by the people and cantons at a federal level with around 66% (see our article from May 19, 2019), the cantonal bill was also approved with around 56%.

The Documentation and Tax Information team, in collaboration with the Tax Policy Department, has prepared an article entitled "Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing" (STAF) for the Tax Information dossier.

The emergence and proliferation of crypto currencies have raised various questions about the tax treatment of these book-entry securities. The Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has published a working paper outlining the practice developed to date (as at the end of May 2019).

On August 20, 2019, the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) published material amendments to the publications relating to the Value Added Tax Act (VATA).

On 12 August 2019, the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) published adjustments to the price lists (ICTax) relating to the Direct Federal Tax and the lists of free shares 2017, 2018 and 2019.

On August 14, 2019, the Federal Council adopted the supplementary dispatch on the amendment to the Federal Act on Direct Federal Taxation (Balanced taxation of couples and families).