Tax comparison
🇨🇭Vaudvs🇨🇭Zurich
At €80,000 gross, the net annual salary is 56,356 CHF in Vaud and 59,985 CHF in Zurich, a gap of 3,629 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: Vaud and Zurich
Vaud (Swiss canton) and Zurich (Swiss canton) have distinct approaches to taxing employment income. On a gross salary of €80,000, the effective total deduction rate is 25.5% in Vaud compared to 20.7% in Zurich. That translates to a difference of roughly €3,839 per year in favor of Zurich.
In Vaud, federal tax is 804 CHF while cantonal and municipal taxes add 10,017 CHF, with social contributions (AHV, ALV, BVG) totaling 8,430 CHF. In Zurich, federal tax is 804 CHF with cantonal/municipal taxes of 6,389 CHF and social contributions of 8,430 CHF.
The net annual take-home is 56,356 CHF in Vaud and 59,985 CHF in Zurich. 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.
Equivalent gross and tipping point
At €80,000 gross in Vaud, about €74,500 gross is needed in Zurich to reach the same net salary.
Across the €30,000 to €250,000 gross range, Zurich leaves the higher net salary at every level tested.
Detailed comparison at €80,000 gross
| Vaud | Zurich | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross annual salary | 75,608 CHF | 75,608 CHF |
| Income tax (national or federal) | 804 CHF | 804 CHF |
| Cantonal and municipal tax | 10,017 CHF | 6,389 CHF |
| Social contributions | 8,430 CHF | 8,430 CHF |
| Total deductions | 19,252 CHF | 15,623 CHF |
| Net annual salary | 56,356 CHF | 59,985 CHF |
| Net monthly salary | 4,696 CHF | 4,999 CHF |
| Effective deduction rate | 25.5% | 20.7% |
Breakdown of social contributions
Vaud
| AHV/IV/EO (old-age, disability) | 4,007 CHF |
|---|---|
| ALV (unemployment) | 832 CHF |
| BVG/LPP (pension fund) | 2,457 CHF |
| UVG (accident insurance) | 1,134 CHF |
| Total contributions | 8,430 CHF |
Zurich
| AHV/IV/EO (old-age, disability) | 4,007 CHF |
|---|---|
| ALV (unemployment) | 832 CHF |
| BVG/LPP (pension fund) | 2,457 CHF |
| UVG (accident insurance) | 1,134 CHF |
| Total contributions | 8,430 CHF |
Examples at several salary levels
| Gross (EUR) | Rate Vaud | Net Vaud | Rate Zurich | Net Zurich |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €45,000 | 20.1% | €35,962 | 15.3% | €38,099 |
| €80,000 | 25.5% | €59,630 | 20.7% | €63,469 |
| €120,000 | 29.0% | €85,255 | 24.1% | €91,130 |
| €250,000 | 36.5% | €158,669 | 30.9% | €172,823 |
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 61,444 CHF in Vaud and 65,815 CHF in Zurich, a gap of 4,371 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.