According to HSG study Switzerland should abolish OECD minimum tax
An HSG study calls for the abolition of the OECD minimum tax. The rules are outdated, legally risky and detrimental to Switzerland as a business location.
18.05.2026, 11:19
18.05.2026, 14:52
SDA
The OECD minimum tax for large international corporations approved by the Swiss electorate in 2023 should be abolished again, according to a study by the University of St. Gallen (HSG). According to the study, the rules are outdated and could have negative consequences for Switzerland as a business location.
This is the conclusion of the study published on Monday by the HSG's Institute of Law and Economics. "The geopolitical and economic framework conditions have changed fundamentally since the referendum in 2023," said Peter Hongler, HSG Professor of Tax Law, at a media conference in Zurich. The minimum tax, which was voluntarily introduced by Switzerland in 2024, now fails to achieve its original purpose.
In addition, the tax entails "considerable legal risks" and could "cost more than it benefits Switzerland economically and fiscally", said Hongler.
The study commissioned by the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce states that the tax model adopted in 2023 with almost 80 percent approval does not fulfill its purpose. For example, the federal government had expected that around 140 states would also implement the rules. So far, however, the tax rules have only been fully implemented by 33 countries.
"A global solution has effectively become an EU project," says Hongler. The non-implementation of the USA is also particularly significant.
