16 november 2020, text: Martin Hügin, photo: Depositphotos
Have you already paid in to your pillar 3a this year? – Well done, as this is how you can save on taxes. And if not, you still have some time until the end of the year. But don’t forget, your payment must be booked this year.
You can also save on taxes by buying into your pension fund and improving your benefits.
Setting up a private pension plan means taking responsibility and acting with foresight. The federal government and the cantons are thus rewarding payments into pillar 3a. These can be deducted from taxable income each year up to a defined maximum amount. If you work and earn an income that is subject to OASI contributions, you can pay in up to CHF 6,826 in 2020. In Zurich, for example, a single person with an annual salary of CHF 85,000 can save around CHF 1,400 in taxes. Self-employed people without a pension fund can even pay up to 20% of their income into pillar 3a, amounting to max. CHF 34,128 this year. The pillar 3a contributions are amended periodically by the federal government. For 2021, the maximum amounts that can be paid into pillar 3a are CHF 6,883 and CHF 34,416.
Have you taken a close look at your pension fund’s insurance certificate? It contains details of the maximum possible purchase sum. By paying in to your pension fund you can increase your pension or maybe even finance early retirement. Your pension fund’s regulations will provide information on the individual possibilities. You can also deduct these payments from taxes. And if you distribute payments over several years there are several ways you can benefit from tax deductions.
The benefits from OASI/IV (1stpillar), pension fund (2nd pillar) and private pension provision (3rd pillar) complement each other. To help you design the best possible personal cover and save taxes at the same time, we recommend an individual consultation with our pension experts.