Canton of Lucerne to cut taxes
Lucerne - The Cantonal Council of Lucerne has agreed to reduce the tax rate from 1.6 to 1.55 units from 2025. The additional tax revenue from OECD taxes will in future benefit location promotion activities, the municipalities and the canton itself.
The canton of Lucerne will cut the tax rate from 1.6 to 1.55 units next year. According to a press release, the Cantonal Council has approved the Task and Financial Plan (AFP) for the period 2025-2028 and the 2025 budget.
According to the information, the expected higher tax revenues will facilitate a targeted expansion of services in areas such as security, education and health. During the consultation, the Cantonal Council advocated for additional jobs to be created in the field of data protection from 2026, while additional money should also be made available for road construction. The Cantonal Government of Lucerne must now submit a proposal to the relevant committees of the Cantonal Council by May 2025 at the latest.
In terms of climate protection, parliament defeated the government, which has led to the 2026 global budget being increased by 24 million Swiss francs in the area of «climate and energy promotion». Parliament had already called for the creation of a climate fund on several occasions three years ago.
Moreover, the October session discussed in detail how additional revenue from the OECD tax should be used. Half of the additional 400 million Swiss francs expected per year is earmarked for the location promotion, while the other half is to be divided equally between the municipalities and the canton. «This is in line with parliament’s demand that municipalities receive an appropriate share of the revenue», the press release states.
