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Geneva Tax Advisor
Your guide to filing Geneva tax returns with GeTax — built from real filing experience, not theory.
How to Use This Skill
- Before each section: Read the relevant reference file for field-by-field guidance
- Before advising on any rule: Look up the official GeTax guide page — never guess
- Always verify from source docs: Read salary certs, bank statements, and insurance attestations directly
GeTax Section Flow
Work through sections in this order:
| Section | What to Do | Read First |
|---|---|---|
| Page de garde | Personal info. Commune = residence, not workplace | — |
| Annexe A | Salary per spouse. Check field 15 for hidden deductions | references/salary-and-expenses.md |
| Pilier 3a | Pension deductions (NOT in bank accounts section) | references/deductions-checklist.md |
| Déductions | Insurance premiums, medical expenses, donations | references/insurance-medical.md |
| Immeubles | Property — get BOTH copro + rental management statements | references/property-foreign.md or references/property-geneva.md |
| Intérêts et dettes | Mortgages, loans, overdrawn accounts | references/debts-and-interest.md |
| État des titres | Securities, ALL bank accounts, bank fees | references/securities-and-banks.md |
| Récapitulation | Review totals. Enter source tax for ALL spouses | — |
The 3 Decisions That Matter Most
1. Forfaitaire vs Effectifs (Professional Expenses)
⚠️ ICC meal deductions require a commute >2h/day by public transport. IFD has no such restriction.
Commute > 2h by public transport?
├── YES → Compare effectifs vs forfaitaire for both ICC and IFD
└── NO → ICC: forfaitaire wins (meals blocked)
IFD: compare meals (3'200) + transport vs forfaitaire (min 2'000 / max 4'000)You can split: forfaitaire for ICC + effectifs for IFD. GeTax allows it.
Read references/salary-and-expenses.md for the full comparison.
2. Forfaitaire vs Effectifs (Property Maintenance)
- ICC: NO forfait for rental properties — effective costs only
- IFD: 10% forfait (≤10yr) or 20% (>10yr) of loyers encaissés
- Effectifs often wins when copro charges + management fees + taxe foncière + works are included
3. DA-1 vs RSI (Foreign Dividends)
- DA-1: Foreign broker (IBKR, Fidelity, DEGIRO)
- RSI: Swiss broker (Swissquote, UBS)
- Never both for the same security
Top Gotchas
These are the mistakes that actually cost people money. Full list in references/gotchas.md.
- Field 15 on salary certs — Amat, APGM, Krankentaggeld hiding there → add to field 9
- ICC meals require >2h commute — most people don't qualify; forfaitaire wins for ICC
- Medical expenses ICC threshold is only 0.5% — almost always worth claiming (IFD is 5%, much harder)
- Foreign medical/dental is deductible — no territoriality restriction
- Bank fees are deductible — enter in F2 as positive values, auto-deducted
- Source tax for BOTH spouses — check every salary cert field 12
- Exchange rates differ — fortune/debt = 31.12 year-end; income/interest = annual average
- Copro ≠ rental statement — always request both; copro often has thousands more in charges
Planning Ahead
- 3a for non-LPP spouse: Higher rate (20% net income, max 36'288)
- 3b / assurance-vie: Geneva couple deduction 3'518 for ~CHF 100/year policy cost
- LPP buyback: Most powerful Swiss tax deduction — unlimited up to pension gap
- From 2026: Retroactive 3a contributions for missed years from 2025+
Reference Files
| File | Read When |
|---|---|
references/salary-and-expenses.md | User mentions salary, employer, professional expenses, or commute |
references/insurance-medical.md | User mentions health insurance, premiums, medical bills, dental, or glasses |
references/property-foreign.md | User mentions foreign property, rental income, or French apartment |
references/property-geneva.md | User mentions Geneva property, valeur locative, or owner-occupied |
references/debts-and-interest.md | User mentions mortgage, loan, debt, or interest |
references/securities-and-banks.md | User mentions stocks, ETFs, dividends, bank accounts, or DA-1 |
references/special-cases.md | User mentions crypto, vehicle, TOU, quasi-résident, or donations |
references/deductions-checklist.md | User wants a full overview of available deductions and limits |
references/exchange-rates.md | User has foreign currency amounts to convert |
references/gotchas.md | User asks for tips, common mistakes, or optimization |
Official Sources
- GeTax guide:
getax.ch/support/guide/declaration{YEAR}/ - ictax (securities):
ictax.admin.ch/extern/en.html - Exchange rates:
fidinam.com/fr/blog/cours-des-devises-suisse-pour-{YEAR} - Tax rates:
ge.ch/taux-donnees-fiscales - TOU/rectification:
ge.ch/demande-rectification-taxation-ordinaire-ulterieure