Tax comparison
🇨🇭Lucerne vs 🇨🇭Aargau
At €80,000 gross, the net annual salary is 58,916 CHF in Lucerne and 58,893 CHF in Aargau, a gap of 23 CHF per year. EXPATRIATION.IO comparison, 2026 tax scales: adjust the gross salary and the household below.
Enter in EUR. Converted to local currency automatically.
Comparing taxes: Lucerne and Aargau
Lucerne (Swiss canton) and Aargau (Swiss canton) have distinct approaches to taxing employment income. On a gross salary of €80,000, the effective total deduction rate is 21.1% in Lucerne compared to 21.1% in Aargau. That translates to a difference of roughly €25 per year in favor of Lucerne.
In Lucerne, federal tax is 779 CHF while cantonal and municipal taxes add 6,639 CHF, with social contributions (AHV, ALV, BVG) totaling 8,306 CHF. In Aargau, federal tax is 779 CHF with cantonal/municipal taxes of 6,662 CHF and social contributions of 8,306 CHF.
The net annual take-home is 58,916 CHF in Lucerne and 58,893 CHF in Aargau. These figures assume a single filer with no children or special deductions. Actual results vary based on household composition, deductions, and specific tax credits available in each jurisdiction.
Tipping point
That figure answers the same net. For the gross that gives back the same purchasing power, restated at each side's price level, the two answers sit side by side.
Across the €30,000 to €250,000 gross range the ranking of the two nets reverses 2 times, at around €33,000 and €79,000; the table above gives the direction at each level.
Detailed comparison at €80,000 gross
| Lucerne | Aargau | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross annual salary | 74,640 CHF | 74,640 CHF |
| Income tax (national or federal) | 779 CHF | 779 CHF |
| Cantonal and municipal tax | 6,639 CHF | 6,662 CHF |
| Social contributions | 8,306 CHF | 8,306 CHF |
| Total deductions | 15,724 CHF | 15,747 CHF |
| Net annual salary | 58,916 CHF | 58,893 CHF |
| Net monthly salary | 4,910 CHF | 4,908 CHF |
| Effective deduction rate | 21.1% | 21.1% |
Breakdown of social contributions
Lucerne
| AHV/IV/EO (old-age, disability) | 3,956 CHF |
|---|---|
| ALV (unemployment) | 821 CHF |
| BVG/LPP (pension fund) | 2,409 CHF |
| UVG (accident insurance) | 1,120 CHF |
| Total contributions | 8,306 CHF |
Aargau
| AHV/IV/EO (old-age, disability) | 3,956 CHF |
|---|---|
| ALV (unemployment) | 821 CHF |
| BVG/LPP (pension fund) | 2,409 CHF |
| UVG (accident insurance) | 1,120 CHF |
| Total contributions | 8,306 CHF |
Examples at several salary levels
| Gross (EUR) | Rate Lucerne | Net Lucerne | Rate Aargau | Net Aargau |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €45,000 | 16.0% | €37,794 | 15.3% | €38,114 |
| €80,000 | 21.1% | €63,147 | 21.1% | €63,122 |
| €120,000 | 23.2% | €92,185 | 24.4% | €90,762 |
| €250,000 | 26.9% | €182,656 | 29.7% | €175,780 |
These figures assume a single filer with no children; the tool above lets you adjust the salary and the household configuration (married, 1 to 3 children).
With a married household and two children, at the same €80,000 gross, the net annual salary is 64,059 CHF in Lucerne and 64,845 CHF in Aargau, a gap of 786 CHF per year.
Sources: estv.admin.ch + cantonal tax administration, tax year 2026
This tool provides estimates based on public datasets. It is not the opinion of a tax lawyer. Consult a tax lawyer, a chartered accountant or a licensed financial professional before making relocation or employment decisions.