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On 29 November 2026, Switzerland will vote.

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The Swiss electorate will decide, among other things, on the
popular initiative "YES to fair federal taxes – also for

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married couples!", known for short as the "Fairness Initiative".

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It aims to abolish the tax disadvantage for
married couples under direct federal tax.

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Married couples should no longer pay more than
unmarried couples in a comparable economic situation.

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Marriage alone should not lead to a higher tax burden.

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The party "Die Mitte" submitted this
initiative in 2024 with more than 120,000 signatures.

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Actually, the "Fairness Initiative" should have
been put to voters together with the "Tax Justice

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Initiative (Individual Taxation)" on 8 March 2026.

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The "Evangelical People's Party" (EVP) writes in a media release
dated 11 September 2026 that the Federal Council and

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Parliament had delayed the "Fairness Initiative" for so long
that the two proposals could not be assessed at the same time.

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The electorate was therefore unable to choose between
different options for abolishing the "marriage penalty".

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On 8 March 2026, individual taxation was
adopted with 54 percent YES votes, thus partially

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abolishing the so-called "marriage penalty".

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In Switzerland, the unequal tax treatment of
married couples is referred to as the "marriage penalty".

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As a result of this decision, married couples will
in future have to submit two separate tax returns.

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Income and assets will be assessed separately.

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Dual-income couples with similarly
high incomes benefit from this solution.

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However, single-income families and families with a
small second income are now at an enormous disadvantage.

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If a caregiving person, for example, has no taxable
income because they are not employed, they cannot claim

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their share of the child deduction for tax purposes.

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Marriage was abolished as an economic unit in
which people take responsibility for one another.

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Now, on November 29, 2026, the "Fairness
Initiative" is once again putting a tax proposal to a vote.

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In contrast to individual taxation, the "Fairness Initiative"
proposes a simpler path, without a new family penalty:

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A clear principle is to be anchored in the Federal Constitution:

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"Married couples are assessed jointly for direct federal tax
and must not be disadvantaged compared with other taxpayers."

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To this end, the initiative proposes a
model of alternative tax calculation:

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"Married couples continue to submit a joint
tax return and are assessed jointly as before.

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In addition, the tax administration calculates what their
tax burden would be under the rules for unmarried persons.

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The lower of the two amounts is charged."

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The "Fairness Initiative" thus respects
different life and employment models.

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How couples divide paid work and family work can change
repeatedly over the course of their lives – for

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example through family phases, further education, job
changes, self-employment, or caring for relatives.

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Anyone who reduces their working hours to care for
children or relatives takes on responsibility for others.

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This work deserves appreciation and must
not be disadvantaged for tax purposes.

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Those who provide care should not have to pay extra.

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Lilian Studer, party president of the EVP Switzerland and
member of the initiative committee, puts it succinctly:

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"On March 8, the population decided that
the 'marriage penalty' should be abolished.

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On November 29, she will decide how.

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The 'Fairness Initiative' is the last chance for a
solution that does not disadvantage any family model."

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Anyone who wants to strengthen family work and abolish the
"marriage penalty" equally for everyone with a

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fair solution should therefore definitely put
a YES in the ballot box on November 29, 2026.

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The tax system should be oriented
toward people – not the other way around.