SummarySummary Companies Swiss set to back 15% minimum business taxMinimum tax backed by business groupsClimate law, rejected in 2021, set to passExtension to COVID-19 law also set to win approvalZURICH, June 18 (Reuters) - Swiss voters looked set to approve proposals to introduce a global minimum tax on businesses and a climate law that aims to cut fossil fuel use and reach zero emissions by 2050, projections by public broadcaster SRF showed on Sunday.
The projections, based on counted votes, showed 88% of those who voted in Sunday's national referendum backed raising the country's business tax to the 15% global minimum rate from current average minimum of 11%, while 55% supported the climate law.
In 2021, Switzerland joined almost 140 countries that signed up to an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) deal to set a minimum tax rate for big companies, a move aimed at limiting the practice of shifting profits to low tax countries.
The climate law, brought back in a modified form after it was rejected in 2021 as too costly, has stirred up more debate with those campaigning against it gaining traction in recent weeks.
We want the additional tax revenue to stay in the country, and be used to improve its attractiveness for businesses," said Christian Frey, from Economiesuisse, a lobby group.
Persons:
SRF, Christian Frey, Noele Illien, John Revill, Emma Farge, Tomasz Janowski, Frances Kerry, Hugh Lawson
Organizations:
ZURICH, Economic Cooperation, Development, Google, Nestle, Reuters Graphics, Thomson
Locations:
COVID, Switzerland, Economiesuisse