Located just south of the beautiful Swiss Alps, Canton Ticino is the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland.
Located just south of the beautiful Swiss Alps, Canton Ticino is the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. Its strategic geographic position represents a bridge between northern and southern Europe and two of the strongest and most dynamic economic areas in Europe: Lombardy – with Milan at its heart – and Zurich.
Canton Ticino harmoniously unites the Swiss accuracy and reliability with the Italian flexibility, resulting in an excellent combination of creativity and sound economic development.
Thanks to the mild climate and the attractive landscapes, Ticino is one of the main touristic locations in Switzerland, but at the same time it showcases a wide array of business activities:
- Lugano is the third finance market in Switzerland
- a solid industrial sector with export-oriented SMEs especially in the fields of life sciences, mechanics and electronics
- home of several headquarters of MNCs especially in the fashion industry
The economic success is based on:
- the advantages of the “Swiss system” (i.e. stability, security, flexibility, etc.)
- strategic geographical location between the metropolitan areas of Zurich and Milan
- top notch research institutes ready to collaborate with companies
Furthermore, the local authorities are equipped to advise and support business ventures at their various stages.
Fiscal Facts
Taxation
- Corporate tax rate
Effective corporate tax rate on profit (depends on municipality): min. 18.22% - max. 20.95%
Targeted total effective corporate tax rate after tax reform (TRAF): min. 14% - max. 17%. - Individual tax rate
Progressive, 0% - 39% on income and 0.0% - 0.6% on wealth. For instance, for married couples with two children and a taxable income of CHF 200,000, the average tax percentage on income is 23.80%. - Guiding thoughts & policies regarding tax holiday
The Cantonal Law for Economic Innovation foresees a five years tax holiday (in exceptional cases an extension for further five years is possible) for innovative new settlements that bring important advantages to the local economy. - Innovation support & R&D grants
The Cantonal Law for Economic Innovation supports R&D projects and innovative investments with grants up to CHF 1,000,000. Furthermore, the Canton of Ticino offers tax incentives for innovative startups and for their local investors.
Ecosystem
- Predominant industries
Life sciences, fashion, mechatronic, information and communications technology - Flagship companies
Helsinn Healthcare SA, Humabs BioMed SA, VF International Sagl, Agie Charmilles SA, Avaloq Sourcing (Switzerland & Liechtenstein) SA - Recent additions
UBS Business Solution Center for the research of application of AI in finance
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