Guide
You live in Zurich and own a flat abroad. What goes in the tax return?
Anyone who files a tax return in the canton of Zurich declares what they own worldwide. A flat in Kyiv, Valencia or Belgrade is part of that, even though Switzerland will never tax it.
Facts checked against the law in September 2026.
The short answer
- A flat abroad belongs in the Zurich tax return, whichever country it stands in and whether or not anybody lives there
- Switzerland does not tax it. The value and the income only set the rate on everything else
- Zurich practice values it at 70 percent of the purchase price, converted to francs
- A flat you keep for yourself carries a notional rent. A flat that cannot be used carries none
- Leaving it out is what gets expensive: back taxes for up to ten years, interest and a fine
Yes, and it does not matter which country
Once you live in Switzerland, the tax return asks for your income and wealth worldwide, and real estate abroad is on that list. It makes no difference whether the flat is in Ukraine, Spain, Serbia or Turkey, whether you bought it or inherited it, or whether anybody lives in it. The country only changes what you write in one field of the form.
Switzerland does not tax it
Swiss law leaves real estate to the country where it stands (Art. 6 Abs. 1 DBG), and Switzerland's tax treaties say the same. The tax office takes the flat and its income back out of what is taxable in Zurich. This is called allocation abroad, and you do not work it out yourself: you declare, the office allocates.
So why does Zurich want to see it? For the rate
Swiss tax rates rise with income and wealth. Zurich taxes what is taxable here at the rate that matches your worldwide total, so the flat lifts your rate a little without being taxed itself. For a typical flat the effect is small. It is still not optional, because the office can only set the right rate if it sees everything.
How you value the flat
No Swiss authority has valued a flat in another country, so the figure comes from you. Zurich practice is 70 percent of the purchase price, converted to francs at the rate of 31 December. If the flat was inherited or given to you, take a realistic estimate of what it would sell for and use 70 percent of that. This is the practice Zurich fiduciaries describe, not a published directive, so keep the contract or whatever else supports your number.
The rent nobody paid you
A flat you keep for yourself, or that your parents live in for free, is treated as though it earned a rent. This notional rent, the Eigenmietwert, is 4.25 percent of the tax value for a flat and 3.5 percent for a house. If the flat is let, you declare the rent you really received instead, converted at the average rate for the year. Either way 20 percent comes off for maintenance, and no receipts are needed.
If the flat is damaged or out of reach
You still list it, because you still own it. But a flat that truly cannot be used, after war damage or a fire, or because it lies in an area you cannot reach, carries no notional rent, and its value should reflect what is left of it. Say so in German in the remarks field, and keep photos or official reports in case the office asks.
The country where the flat stands may want a return too
What you file in Zurich does not replace what the flat's own country asks for. Spain wants a Modelo 210 from every owner who lives elsewhere, and Germany wants a return with Anlage V when the flat is let. Those are separate filings with their own values and deadlines, and their figures will not match the Zurich ones. That is normal.
What changes in 2029
Switzerland voted in September 2025 to end the taxation of notional rent, and the Federal Council set the change in force for 1 January 2029. Up to and including tax year 2028 the notional rent still has to be declared. The flat itself stays in the tax return after that, as part of your wealth.
If you left it out in earlier years
Once in your life you can put this right without a fine, through a voluntary disclosure (straflose Selbstanzeige), as long as the tax office has not found out by itself. You pay the missing tax for up to ten years plus interest, which for a flat abroad is usually a small amount. Talk to the cantonal tax office or an adviser first, and do not simply start listing the flat without a word.
Questions that follow
Do I pay Swiss tax on my flat abroad?
No. Swiss law taxes real estate only in the country where it stands, and Switzerland's tax treaties say the same. Zurich still wants to see the flat because your total wealth and income decide which tax rate applies to the part that is taxable in Switzerland. Tax people call this satzbestimmend, meaning it counts for the rate only.
The other country already taxes the flat. Is that not double taxation?
No. The other country taxes the property and any rent from it. Switzerland does not tax them again, it only uses them to set the rate on your Swiss income and wealth. Whatever you owe abroad, for example German tax on rent (Anlage V) or the Spanish non-resident tax (Modelo 210), is a separate filing in that country.
What does it cost?
CHF 49.95 per property for your first declaration. In the following years it costs less, because your flat is already set up. A tax adviser usually charges several hundred francs for the same work, every year.
My tax is deducted from my salary. Do I file a tax return at all?
People taxed at source (Quellensteuer), for example with a B permit or protection status S, usually do not file. You must file if you have other income of CHF 3'000 or more per year, taxable wealth of CHF 80'000 or more (CHF 160'000 for married couples), or a gross salary of CHF 120'000 or more. With status S you also become fully taxable once you have lived in Switzerland for more than two years without interruption and your life is centred here. And if your municipality sent you a tax return, you have to complete it in any case. If you are unsure, ask your Gemeindesteueramt.
How do I value the flat?
Zurich practice for property abroad is 70% of the purchase price, converted to francs. If there was no purchase price, for example because the flat was inherited or given to you, use a realistic estimate of what it would sell for and take 70% of that. Keep whatever supports your number: the purchase contract, a land register extract, or comparable listings.
My flat is damaged or cannot be used. What now?
You still list it, because you still own it. Use a value that reflects reality, and do not declare any notional rent if the flat really cannot be used, for example after war damage or a fire, or because it is in an area you cannot reach. The tool writes a short German explanation for the remarks field. Keep photos, official reports or news coverage in case the tax office asks.
My parents live in the flat for free. Is that rental income?
It is not rent, but Zurich treats a flat used by you or your relatives free of charge as used by yourself. That means a notional rent (Eigenmietwert) of 4.25% of the tax value applies. It affects your rate only.
What is Eigenmietwert, and was it not abolished?
It is a notional income: what you could earn if you rented out a home you keep for yourself. Swiss voters decided on 28 September 2025 to abolish it, and the Federal Council set 1 January 2029 as the start date. Up to and including tax year 2028 it still has to be declared.
I did not declare the flat in earlier years. What should I do?
Once in your life you can correct this without a fine through a voluntary disclosure (straflose Selbstanzeige), as long as the tax office has not found out on its own. You pay the missing tax for up to ten years plus interest, which for a foreign flat is usually a small amount. Contact the cantonal tax office or an adviser before you file, and do not simply start listing the flat without explanation.
What about my bank accounts abroad?
Once you are fully taxable in Switzerland, foreign accounts belong in the securities and accounts list (Wertschriftenverzeichnis) with the balance on 31 December and the interest earned. This tool only covers real estate.
Does this affect my social assistance?
Social assistance, asylum support and supplementary benefits follow their own rules and are handled by a different office. This tool only covers the tax return. Tell your caseworker about the property truthfully and ask how it is treated in your municipality.