Using a company as pre-tax buffer

[Cortana]

No, because I don’t own a car. My girlfriend does and she declared it as wealth.

[rolandinho]

@Cortana

I’m deducting car commute expenses because I’m saving 1h/day compared to public transport. It’s a legal reason to do that. How are they going to tell if you really drove a car?

Firstly, since you mainly get flamed for such an “activity” on this forum, I just wanted to say not everyone one on here, for example me, judges such optimising negatively. Good for you if it works IMO.

And second, to your question I can probably give their “standard method” of checking if you really drove - over the years, I’ve been asked in 2 instances in 2 Kantons for proof of the km’s done with the/a car (service history or similar). The one time I had such documents and “proved” it, the one time I didn’t and just didn’t send anything within the Frist they defined & it wasn’t allowed as a deduction.
This is a way they can tell or try to find out, if your Beamte feels like it on the day he is checking your declaration.
If you drove “in your gf’s car”, then that’s probably fine, unless she also deducted a daily commute in the same car. So think it through if they ever need “evidence”, just opting out of “sending in proof” at that time, usually has no further consequnces in my experience.

[San_Francisco]

@FIREstarter

I was considering that, but it doesn’t make sense. As a private person, you don’t pay taxes on capital gains. If you hold ETFs in a company, you will have to pay taxes on the capital gains. Already talked to several tax advisors about that.
(…)
One final thing to consider: you need to calculate costs for registering/running the business. AHV/BVG/BU etc need to be paid, you need someone to create your annual accounting etc.
So as romzzz already said: if the companies only purpose is tax optimisation, forget it!

While I can’t claim having talked to tax advisors about it, I’ve (nonprofessionally) looked a bit into it, thinking of setting up an investment club with a couple of friends. It very much lines up with my own research: generally not worth it for tax purposes, if the alternative is tax-free capital gains as a personal investor.

[Grog]

@Cortana

You can also deduct the bicycle + public transport commute cost without even having/using a bicycle.

Lol I wish. I actually, really use my foldable bike to go to the station, take the bike on the train, use the bike from my stop until my work, and the tax offices ONLY accepted the GA deduction and not the bike because the combined distance is too little for a bike (in total I bike 4 km per commute)

Sometime you ask yourself if they just simply refuse on purpose or what’s their deal…c’mon let me save 150 bucks of taxes

[rolandinho]

@yakari

@Cortana

I’m deducting car commute

But did you declare a car as part of your wealth as well?

@Cortana

No, because I don’t own a car. My girlfriend does and she declared it as wealth.

She doesn’t have to / shouldn’t, it’s unnecessary.

"Vermögensteuer
…Der Hausrat und die persönlichen Gebrauchsgegenstände einschliesslich Motorfahrzeuge für den täglichen Gebrauch werden nicht besteuert. …
Source: Info-Blatt der Steuerverwaltung Kt BS 2018

[ma0]

@rolandinho

" Vermögensteuer
…Der Hausrat und die persönlichen Gebrauchsgegenstände einschliesslich Motorfahrzeuge für den täglichen Gebrauch werden nicht besteuert. …
Source: Info-Blatt der Steuerverwaltung Kt BS 2018

… in Basel. In Zurich is different.