Simplified customs clearance Shopping tourists often pay too much with the federal government's app
Since the beginning of the year, anyone shopping abroad has had to pay VAT on purchases of CHF 150 or more. Quickzoll is intended to enable self-customs clearance. However, those who use the federal government's app often pay too much.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Since January 1, shopping tourists have only been allowed to make tax-free purchases for CHF 150 instead of CHF 300.
- The Quickzoll smartphone app enables private individuals to clear customs themselves quickly and easily.
- But be careful: Anyone using the Quickzoll app will pay VAT of 8.1 percent on all products - even on goods with a lower tax rate.
Since January 1, shopping tourists have only been able to make tax-free purchases for CHF 150 instead of CHF 300. Private individuals can register their goods for import independently with QuickZoll and pay any duties directly via the smartphone app.
However, customs clearance of foreign goods via the federal app is more expensive for consumers than at the counter at the border. This is because the app of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security charges everything with the VAT rate of 8.1 percent, as Tamedia writes.
This also includes products that are taxed at a reduced rate of 2.6 percent. These include food, non-alcoholic drinks, medicines, books, magazines and now also tampons and sanitary towels.
Criticism: legal basis not given
In the opinion of tax expert Martin Kocher, the "legal basis that would approve such a 'simplification' as applied by Quickzoll does not exist", according to the report. On the contrary, the app leads to "incorrect taxation and tends to promote import smuggling, both of which are undesirable and illegal", Kocher writes on request.
The Foundation for Consumer Protection also complains that goods have to be taxed at the highest VAT rate. This has "never been comprehensible", writes André Bähler, Head of Politics and Economics at the foundation, in response to an inquiry from Tamedia. If only one VAT rate is offered, "it would have to be between the reduced and the standard rate," says Bähler.
Simplification or rip-off?
The federal government justifies the different rates with a "quick and simple solution". The authorities argued that they had communicated sufficiently "transparently and openly" about the standard application of the standard VAT rate since the launch of Quickzoll.
The app refers to standardized customs clearance. According to the report, anyone opening Quickzoll for the first time is informed that by using the app for customs clearance, they accept the standard rate of 8.1 percent by default.
From 2026, customs clearance is also expected to be possible at the reduced rate.
The Confederation has "no figures available" on the additional revenue, as Tamedia wrote.