If this decision changes the viability or sequence of your move, a Swiss relocation strategy consultation can apply it to your own facts.
US dividends
Without treaty documentation, the United States can withhold 30% from dividends paid to a foreign investor. A qualifying Swiss resident who files Form W-8BEN with the broker can generally obtain the treaty rate of 15%.
For the surrounding context, see Swiss banking hub.
That treaty-eligible 15% can then form part of the Swiss DA-1 foreign-tax credit process, subject to the Swiss rules and limitation calculation.
The source notes that Swiss custody of US securities can involve an additional Swiss tax-retention mechanism in specific structures, which is also handled through the relevant DA-1 reporting fields.
Minimum claim
The source’s current rule uses a CHF 100 minimum for the aggregate creditable foreign withholding amount, replacing an older CHF 50 figure sometimes still quoted online.
The DA-1 route exists only for Swiss residents. Until you are one, the choice is which broker takes you at all, which FreedomBanking sets out in its comparison of international brokers for non-residents.
Do it every year
Keep dividend statements and withholding-tax data by country. Verify W-8BEN remains valid after the move and file DA-1 with the Swiss tax return in the required form.
For the surrounding context, see opening a Swiss bank account.
For the surrounding context, see choosing a Swiss bank.
The tax treaty does not reclaim money for you. Paperwork does.
The three-year deadline
The source material uses a three-year claim period after the end of the relevant tax period. Keep the DA-1 evidence with the tax file rather than trying to reconstruct it later. Only income and assets that have been properly declared in the Swiss securities schedule can support the credit.
For each foreign holding, retain the gross dividend, foreign tax withheld, treaty rate, payment date, country and security identifier. For US securities, make sure the broker has your Swiss residence correctly documented on Form W-8BEN; otherwise an avoidable 30% withholding can turn a simple Swiss credit into a foreign refund project.
Other countries
The US example is the most familiar, but the same logic applies elsewhere: first determine what the treaty allows the source state to retain, then determine what must be reclaimed directly abroad and what Switzerland can credit through DA-1. The answer is country-specific.
A broker statement that shows only a net dividend is not enough for a clean file. You want the gross income and withholding broken out line by line.
The best time to organise foreign withholding tax is when the dividend arrives, not when the Swiss return is due.
General information on Swiss law and practice, not individual legal, tax or investment advice.
