Swiss federal popular initiative

A citizen-led, humanist and non-partisan initiative — in service of people

One francper thousand.

A simple conviction: systems are made to serve human beings — not the other way around.

Those who move billions pay a crumb.
You, you breathe.

Our conviction

Why we are carrying this initiative

A citizen-led, humanist and non-partisan initiative — in service of people

We, Swiss citizens, carry this initiative without partisan affiliation and without ideological agenda. We carry it because a simple and long-held conviction unites us: systems are made to serve human beings — not the other way around.

Rent goes up, health insurance premiums go up, prices go up. Wages stay the same. And taxes take their share before life has even begun. Meanwhile, one hundred trillion francs flow through Switzerland every year in electronic transactions without contributing significantly to the common good. This imbalance is not inevitable. It is the result of a tax system designed in another era, for another economy.

A levy of one franc per thousand on these transactions is enough to rebalance this disparity. To abolish the direct federal tax that weighs on every salary. To reduce the VAT that hits every daily purchase. To give every household real purchasing power back — without miracles, without debt, without raising social contributions.

Not everyone suffers in the same way. But everyone shares the same reality: a tax system that levies on those who live and work, and lets pass those who merely grow their wealth. To rebalance this is to give back to each person what is rightfully theirs.

This is not a question of right or left. It is a question of basic justice. This is not a technical question. It is a human question.

This initiative does not belong to any party. It belongs to every person who believes that a just society is one where the tax system serves people — and not people who serve the system.

The initiative committee — Swiss citizens of diverse perspectives, united by a shared humanist conviction.

The facts

Numbers that change everything

A citizen-led, humanist and non-partisan initiative — in service of people

In Switzerland, CHF 100 trillion flow through electronic channels every year — 125 times the country's GDP — with no significant tax contribution. Just one franc per thousand is enough to reverse the logic and restore every household's purchasing power.

100,000
Billion CHF/year
in electronic transactions. 125 times the GDP. Currently with no real tax contribution.
1‰
Proposed rate
One franc per thousand francs. Imperceptible on each transaction. Decisive for the common good.
~100
Billion in revenue/year
To abolish direct federal tax, reduce VAT, and sustainably fund the AHV (old-age insurance).
4,500+
CHF per household/year
Real purchasing power restored. Concrete, immediate, for every Swiss family.
0
Direct federal tax
Abolished for individuals. No more federal tax return.
3
Taxes eliminated
VAT reduced, direct federal tax abolished, stamp duty abolished.

The human impact

Your purchasing power, in concrete terms

What this initiative changes in your daily life

These are not accounting abstractions. These are francs that stay in your pocket — every month, every year.

–CHF 1,800Direct federal tax abolished for a median-income household — direct annual savings.
–8.1%VAT reduced on every daily purchase — food, clothing, transport, medicine.
+StabilityAHV funded sustainably without raising contributions — security for workers and retirees alike.
+TimeFederal tax return abolished — hours reclaimed every year.
~CHF 6Monthly micro-tax on a salary of CHF 6,000

versus an average annual direct federal tax of

~CHF 1,800

The calculation is simple. The effect is human.

Our identity

Why this initiative is different

Citizen-led, humanist, non-partisan — three words that are not slogans

Citizen-led

It does not come from a party, a lobby or a pressure group. It comes from citizens exercising a fundamental constitutional right — to directly propose an amendment to their country's fundamental law.

Humanist

It stems from a long-held and simple conviction: institutions and tax systems are tools created by humans to serve humans. When they no longer fulfil that role, they must be corrected.

Non-partisan

It is not morally neutral — it has clear values. But it owes nothing to any camp. It reduces taxes on labour (what the right demands) and taxes what merely grows wealth (what the left demands). It belongs to everyone.

In service of people

Behind every number, there is a concrete reality: rent paid, a health insurance premium absorbed, the end of the month made easier. Purchasing power restored. That is why this initiative exists.

The change

Before and after

What changes for every citizen, regardless of political affiliation.

TodayWith this initiative
Direct federal taxLevied on every salaryAbolished for individuals
VAT8.1% on most purchasesReduced — purchasing power restored
Stamp dutyOn stock market transactionsAbolished
Tax returnComplex annual obligationNo longer required at federal level
Speculative flowsNo significant taxationTaxed like any other transaction
AHV (old-age insurance)Under pressure, recurring increasesSustainably funded
Purchasing powerEroding every yearRestored for every household

Frequently asked questions

What opponents say — and the truth

A humanist and non-partisan initiative has a duty to answer every objection honestly.

« The financial centre will flee. »
Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United Kingdom have taxed transactions for decades. Their financial centres remain among the most dynamic in the world. The real economy is not going anywhere.
« The 100 trillion figure is unverifiable. »
The first year is an audit year at a near-zero rate. No tax is abolished before the figures are certified. The initiative is built on prudence.
« It's a disguised Tobin tax. »
No. The Tobin tax targeted currencies. This initiative covers all electronic payments at a rate one hundred times lower — making it unprecedented and far more equitable.
« The wealthy will benefit too. »
Not everyone suffers in the same way. But the relief benefits everyone — and first and foremost those whose purchasing power is most constrained.
« It's a left-wing initiative. »
It reduces taxes on labour (what the right demands) and taxes what merely grows wealth (what the left demands). It is humanist and non-partisan.
« The cantons will lose their autonomy. »
The initiative only affects federal taxes. Each canton remains entirely in control of its own taxation.

Take action

How to sign

A citizen-led, humanist, non-partisan act

By signing, you do not join any party. You simply affirm that a just society is one where the tax system serves people.

  1. 1
    Download the signature sheet for your municipalityEnter your municipality. You will receive a pre-filled signature sheet.
  2. 2
    Fill in by handLast name, first name, date of birth and signature — all handwritten, in ink.
  3. 3
    Have your family and friends signUp to 20 signatures per sheet, all from the same municipality.
  4. 4
    Send the sheet back to usBy post using the prepaid return envelope, or at a collection stand near you.

I download and sign

Receive the pre-filled signature sheet for your municipality. Sign with your neighbours and friends, then send the sheet back to us.

Sign the initiative

By signing, you do not join any party. You exercise a fundamental civic right.