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Basel leads in international tax competition

20.12.2019

The canton of Basel-Stadt offers one of the world’s most attractive tax burdens for companies, according to the latest BAK Taxation Index. With an effective tax burden of 11 per cent, it has ranked seventh in the world for the first time.

Basel with Roche and Messe towers (img: Adriano Biondo)

The economic research institute BAK Economics has published the BAK Taxation Index 2019, which compares the tax burden on companies worldwide. The canton of Basel-Stadt has secured seventh place thanks to the significant tax cuts made within the corporate tax reform. Its effective tax rate is now 11 per cent (8.6 percentage points lower than previously).

The index shows that the Swiss cantons overall are still very well positioned in the international tax competition. According to BAK Economics, this is despite the fact that competition has significantly stepped up since the last index in 2017.

Alongside Basel-Stadt, Nidwalden, Lucerne, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Obwalden are in the top seven. Hong Kong took the top spot. The international average for effective tax burden is 26.4 per cent, according to BAK. In Switzerland the value is more than 10 percentage points lower at 15.6 per cent.