As in the previous year, none of the citizens used bitcoin in 2021 to pay their municipal taxes or to carry out transactions at the occupant control counter.
The citizens of the municipality of Zermatt (VS) rejected bitcoin in 2021 as in 2020. None of them used it to pay their taxes or for other transactions. Bitcoin Suisse does not comment.
Romy Biner-Hauser saw “no change in 2021”. As in the previous year, none of its members used bitcoin to pay their municipal taxes or to carry out transactions of up to 150 francs at the counter of the neighborhood control.
“I have no explanation to present,” he reacts to Keystone-ATS. However, some citizens had expressed their interest in cryptocurrencies and the president, who likes to “live with the times and innovate”, saw it as a great challenge for her municipality, which thus became the second in Switzerland to accept bitcoin payments after Zug.
“In progress”
When asked, Bitcoin Suisse did not respond to questions from Keystone-ATS, but refers to an article published in Agefi in December 2021. Armin Schmid, head of crypto payments within the company, states: “The adoption of these new payment alternatives is still pending. increasing. Let us remember Twint, which was also slow to be adopted, despite the support of all the major Swiss banks.”
Zermatt will continue to offer the solution developed by Bitcoin Suisse, because it does not involve “neither costs nor risks for the municipality”, recalls Romy Biner-Hauser, but she does not intend to analyze why its citizens are not interested at the moment. The latter will retain the possibility of making their payments in bitcoin, amounts that the Swiss bitcoin will change into Swiss francs and transfer to the bank account of the municipality.
Zug and Chiasso
In Switzerland, the city of Zug is a pioneer. Since 2016, it authorizes the payment of municipal taxes in cryptocurrency.
In Ticino, the municipality of Chiasso offers from January 1, 2021 the possibility of paying a maximum amount of 1,000 francs in bitcoin for each tax installment. But for now, “very few taxpayers have taken advantage of this opportunity,” says the tax office.
As for the canton of Zug, since 2021 it is the first to allow its taxpayers to pay their taxes in Bitcoin and Ether. This possibility applies to both individuals and companies, provided that the invoice does not exceed CHF100,000 and that the payment is made in one lump sum. You have to make a request to the tax administration, which sends a QR code to make the payment, the canton reported in September 2020.
Start investing in Cryptocurrencies and get Free Bitcoin when you buy or sell 100$ or more when you register in Coinbase
