FTA Practice Adjustment: Distinction between Service and Value Vouchers for VAT Purposes in Switzerland

• The Federal Tax Administration (FTA) in Switzerland has published a draft practice statement on vouchers following a decision by the Federal Administrative Court.
• The practice statement introduces a distinction between service vouchers and value vouchers for VAT purposes.
• The FTA defines vouchers as entitling the holder to purchase services and goods, excluding discount vouchers or tickets for public transport, admission tickets, or stamps.
• Value vouchers are considered means of payment and are not included in the assessment basis for VAT, as long as no tax rate is shown on the voucher.
• Supply vouchers specify a specific or determinable supply and the tax becomes due at the time of receipt of the purchase price.
• The FTA provides examples to help taxpayers distinguish between supply vouchers and value vouchers.
• The FTA’s rules on vouchers in Switzerland may have parallels with the regulations in the EU regarding single-purpose and multi-purpose vouchers.
• It is recommended for voucher providers to familiarize themselves with the FTA’s rules and seek expert advice if needed.

Source: primetax.ch

Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.

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