What is the marriage penalty?

The political term "marriage penalty" criticizes the tax disadvantages faced by married couples compared to unmarried couples. A popular initiative now seeks to permanently abolish this unequal treatment.

The Marriage Penalty

At the cantonal level, the tax inequality between married couples and cohabiting couples was already addressed in 1984 by a Federal Court decision. However, at the federal level, the discrimination against married couples still exists today and amounts to well over 10%. Approximately 80,000 married couples are affected by this additional burden. Moreover, a married retired couple receives a maximum of 150% of the maximum pension from the Old Age and Survivors' Insurance (AHV). In contrast, each partner in an unmarried retired couple receives the full pension.

Popular Initiative "For Marriage and Family - Against the Marriage Penalty"

A current popular initiative is now demanding the complete elimination of the so-called marriage penalty. The initiative calls for married couples to be treated equally with unmarried couples in terms of taxes and social insurance contributions. The prohibition of unequal treatment of married and cohabiting couples is to be incorporated into the constitution. Proponents argue that the current legislation is unfair and weakens the family, which is the cornerstone of our society. Moreover, they claim that the implementation of the initiative could be achieved without additional bureaucratic effort. Opponents of the initiative, however, argue that primarily families with high incomes would benefit if it were accepted. They also claim that there is no actual disadvantage in social security contributions for married couples. The vote on the popular initiative will take place on February 28, 2016.

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