Equity is the money you will contribute to the purchase of a property in Switzerland.

In general, the mortgage loan granted by financial institutions is 80% at most; 20% of the purchase price must therefore be supplemented by your own funds: your savings, your investments, your bank or insurance 3rd pillar, your pension fund (2nd pillar), a gift or advance on inheritance, a loan from a third party or a building plot.

Since 1 July 2012, it has been mandatory to bring in at least 10% of your own funds that do not come from your pension fund or a loan from a third party.

There are different categories of property taxation when you become a homeowner:

•  Wealth tax: The tax value of your property will be added to your assets. However, you can deduct the capital value of your mortgage.

• Income tax: When you buy a primary residence, the tax authorities will calculate a rental value and add it to your annual income. However, you will be able to deduct the annual mortgage interest and maintenance costs of your home. The tax value and the rental value generally have an annual tax allowance that differs from canton to canton.

• Supplementary property tax: This cantonal tax, which is payable annually, is generally calculated as a ‘per thousand’ of the tax value of your property. This does not take into account the annual tax value allowance or the capital deduction for the mortgage amount. If your property has a high energy performance or very high energy performance (Minergie) label, it is possible to apply for an exemption from supplementary tax in some cantons.

The 2nd pillar can be used in two ways in the context of a property purchase (main residence only):

• By early withdrawal of all or part of your second pillar.
• By pledging your second pillar.

In the first case, you build up part of your own funds by withdrawing a certain amount from your second pillar. It is important to note that this will reduce your pension benefits once the withdrawal is made. There is also a tax on the withdrawal of capital benefits (between 3% and 10% of the amount of the capital withdrawal made, depending on your marital status, the amount and the tax municipality).

In case of a full repayment of the withdrawal made, the taxes paid will be refunded. Using your 2nd pillar for home ownership may be more complicated if you have made a purchase in the three years prior to the capital withdrawal.

In the second case, you pledge your pension assets as collateral for the mortgage. There is no tax or reduction in old-age benefits. However, supplementary insurance cover is usually requested by financial institutions when granting a mortgage.

The 3rd pillar, whether bank or insurance, can be used in different ways when buying property:

By withdrawing it to build up equity or by pledging it as collateral.

In the first case, the withdrawal from the 3rd pillar generates a tax on the withdrawal of the pension capital (this varies according to the marital status, the amount and the tax municipality, estimated at between 3% and 10%).

In the second case, the 3rd pillar can be used as collateral for the mortgage you are about to take out and can be used to pay off the mortgage indirectly: the amount of the annual premium must cover the amount of the amortisation requested by the bank.

The ancillary costs associated with a property purchase in Switzerland are generally made up of:

Notary fees: All costs, taxes (transfer duties), fees and charges related to the property transaction. These are generally estimated at around 5% of the purchase price in Geneva and Vaud, but this percentage may vary from one canton to another.

Amortisation is the repayment of the mortgage. Generally, financial institutions require that the 2nd mortgage be repaid over a period of 15 years or at the latest before the legal retirement age. Repayment can be quarterly, half-yearly or annually.

There are two types of amortisation for a principal residence:

• Direct amortisation: You pay your mortgage directly to the financial institution each year, which will reduce the amount of the loan each year, as well as the interest charge, but will also reduce your annual tax deductions.

• Indirect amortisation: Instead of paying the annual amortisation amount each year against the mortgage, you pay it into a 3rd pillar bank or insurance to benefit from the related income tax deductions. Your interest burden will remain constant as will your annual tax deduction. Your loan will then be reduced by the amount saved in the 3rd pillar at retirement age and/or at the maturity of the life insurance policy.

If you use a withdrawal from your pension assets to build up part of your own funds for a property purchase, you will be subject to tax on the withdrawal of pension assets. This varies according to marital status, amount, and tax municipality (between 3% and 10%). These costs are not considered by the financial institutions when granting the mortgage loan and you are responsible for them.

A mortgage note is a title issued by the Land Registry. It is required by the financial institution as security for the mortgage. The notary sends the mortgage note to the bank in exchange for the mortgage amount. The mortgage note must always be attached to real property, otherwise it is extinguished.

A mortgage note that is no longer being used as security for a mortgage loan can be reused by its owner in a number of ways:

To take out a subsequent mortgage (to finance renovation or conversion of the property)

• The mortgage note can be moved to a new property purchase
• The mortgage note can be transferred to a third party (for example: in the case of a real estate sale, it is entirely possible to transfer your note to the buyer of your property free of charge or sell it to them).

This is the loan that financial institutions will make available to enable you to acquire the property you want. The mortgage is usually divided into two parts:

The 1st mortgage generally covers the first 66% of the loan on the purchase price. The 2nd covers everything above the first 66% of the loan and it is this amount that will be repaid over 15 years or before the legal retirement age.

The mortgage is usually up to 80% on properties considered standard. This can be reduced to a lower percentage for various reasons: your age, the type of property to be financed and the use to which it is put. For example, a holiday home or luxury property is usually financed at 66% of the purchase price.

Financial institutions offer you the opportunity to take out a mortgage by offering different types of mortgages. You can choose different types of rates for your mortgage: fixed or variable with different durations, generally ranging from 1 month to 15 years. It is entirely possible to spread your mortgage over different rates with different terms depending on your financial strategy and expectations. This is known as the ‘mortgage tranche’ system.

In case of early termination of the mortgage rate, financial institutions ask for an exit fee (penalty).

Casatax is a reduction in registration fees when buying a home in the canton of Geneva only. You can benefit from this reduction only on the purchase of a main residence in Geneva at a maximum price of CHF 1,258,454 (2022 scale, value indexed each year). If you meet these criteria, you will receive a reduction in transfer tax of CHF 18,877 and the registration fee for mortgage deeds will be reduced by half. You must occupy your main home for a continuous period of at least 3 years, otherwise the reduction you have benefited from must be repaid (exception: death of the beneficiary).

In the case of early termination of a mortgage product with a defined term, financial institutions normally charge an early termination fee or exit penalty. The parameters considered for the calculation of the penalty are generally the amount of the loan to be terminated, the period remaining until the maturity of the mortgage product and the difference in the level of rates between the date your mortgage was taken out and the date it is terminated. This penalty can be very costly depending on the above-mentioned parameters and it is therefore important to anticipate this potential problem as far as possible when choosing your fixed rate strategy.