Only the canton of Zug wanted to abolish the stamp duty for companies, as suggested by the Federal Council. The rest of Switzerland doesn’t. The balance sheet of the Federal Council and Minister of Finance Ueli Maurer.
SRF News: You said that the abolition of the stamp duty would send the right signal to attract companies and investments. Are the electorate now sending out the opposite signal?
Ueli Maurer: I think so. Because we are in international competition. Companies consider whether to come to Switzerland, whether to stay here or move away, and such signals are of course also taken into account. And they are negative signals that certainly do not contribute to confidence in Switzerland as a business location.
Unions and SP are already collecting signatures for the next referendum; against the abolition of the tax on interest income. Do you have to write these down?
No, because this template is easy to explain. It is evident that most of the jobs have migrated to Luxembourg. And if we abolish this withholding tax, business will come back. There are studies that show that eliminating them will bring more returns.
In the future, the OECD will demand a minimum tax of 15 percent for large companies. They wanted to counter something with the templates for stamp and withholding tax. Does this strategy coincide?
No, but of course it is like this: the big companies will have to pay significantly more taxes with this tax reform, but other elements will be taken into account. Where do we benefit, where do we lose?
It’s not always just companies that are leaving, but jobs and apprenticeships.
If we don’t abolish taxes here or create a better environment, then we will probably lose jobs. It’s not always just companies that go, it’s jobs and training positions that are lost. This danger is massively underestimated.
SP and unions say that something should now be done for private households instead of big business…
I agree with that. And when we do something for private households, we ensure that everyone can look for a job and generate an income. If we expel companies, then the most important social element is lost. Seen in this way, one could also say: the no to the abolition of the stamp duty was an own goal. And when it comes to results, you usually don’t celebrate whoever scored the own goal.
When it comes to results, you usually don’t celebrate whoever scored the own goal.
After USR III and the child deductions, it is the third tax proposal that fails at the ballot box. Does the economy have an image problem?
She certainly no longer enjoys the blind trust she had for decades. This also has to do with the fact that business and business leaders have moved away from the normal population. High manager salaries that are not understood, many people from abroad in management bodies. Some trust was lost there. It’s difficult to get that back.
You have repeatedly criticized the high wages. You also spoke of a wage cap. Would that be a project you would like to pursue now?
No, I don’t think the state should be allowed to set wages. But I would hope that one or the other would be considered in these companies. I think high wages are accepted when a company is successful. If it isn’t successful, then one rightly wonders what is happening here. I don’t understand that either.
The conversation was conducted by Philipp Burkhart.