Swiss Want to End Tax Disadvantage for Double-Income Couples (1)

The Swiss government is backing a proposal to abolish preferential tax treatment for married couples with only one earner, endorsing a far-reaching reform that will go before voters in March.

The executive backs legislation drafted by parliament that would tax married partners individually rather than jointly. Single-earner households with one high income would lose the advantage they currently have, while married couples with similar earnings would generally pay less.

Speaking in support of the measure, Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said on Tuesday in Bern that the state’s overall tax take would drop by some 630 million francs ($790 million) per ...