When the imputed rental value (Eigenmietwert) ends on 1 January 2029, owners of second homes in Gstaad will stop paying income tax on rent they never receive. But Canton Bern intends to recover part of the lost revenue. In October 2026 the cantonal government sent a draft to consultation that would let municipalities such as Saanen levy a second home tax of up to 3 per mille of the official value on second homes that are mainly used by their owners. Nothing is final yet. Bernese voters are expected to decide in the second half of 2028.
We have been asked about this more than any other tax question this autumn, so here is what is known, what is not, and how we would think about it as a buyer or owner in the Saanenland.
This article is general information, not tax advice. The rules below are drafts and will change. Speak to a Swiss tax advisor before acting on any of it.
What Changes on 1 January 2029
Swiss voters approved the reform of homeownership taxation on 28 September 2025, with 57.73 percent in favour nationally and 55.26 percent in Canton Bern. The Federal Council later set the start date at 1 January 2029, one year later than many had expected.
The headline points for second-home owners, as summarised by Canton Bern's own tax information service:
- The Eigenmietwert disappears on second homes too. This is the part many owners miss. The abolition is not limited to primary residences. If you use your chalet in Schönried yourself, you will no longer declare a deemed rent on it.
- Maintenance deductions go. For owner-occupied property, ordinary maintenance costs are no longer deductible. They remain deductible only on properties that are rented out.
- Interest deductions are reshaped. Private debt interest becomes deductible only in proportion to the share of your assets held in rented property. There is a limited new deduction for first-time owners of a Swiss primary residence, which rarely applies to holiday homes.
- Cantons may tax second homes separately. The federal constitution now allows cantons to introduce a special property tax on second homes that are mainly owner-occupied, to compensate mountain and tourism regions.
The Federal Tax Administration's documentation explains the current system in detail, if you want to see exactly what is being replaced.
Why the Saanenland Is Directly Affected
Saanen municipality, which includes Gstaad, Saanenmöser, Schönried, Gsteig, Lauenen and Feutersoey, has one of the highest shares of second homes in the canton. The Eigenmietwert on those properties has been a meaningful source of income tax for both the canton and the commune. Bern's government has said openly that the tourism regions are the most exposed to the revenue loss, which it estimates at roughly CHF 90 to 165 million per year across canton and municipalities, depending on which deductions survive.
That is the logic behind the new tax. It is not a punishment of foreign owners. It is a replacement for a tax that most second-home owners were already paying, in a different form.
What the Bern Draft Actually Proposes
According to reporting on the Bern tax revision 2029 published on 16 October 2026, the consultation draft contains:
- An optional municipal tax on mainly owner-occupied second homes, up to 3 per mille. Each municipality decides whether to levy it and at what rate, within that ceiling.
- A constitutional amendment. Because the cantonal constitution must change, there will be a mandatory popular vote, expected in the second half of 2028.
- Changes to deductions. Repair costs on owner-occupied homes would no longer be deductible, while energy-saving and environmental investments would stay deductible until 2050.
- A new official valuation system for property, which will matter for every tax that uses the amtlicher Wert as its base.
- A consultation deadline of 15 January 2027.
How it sits alongside the existing Liegenschaftssteuer
Bern municipalities already levy an ordinary property tax (Liegenschaftssteuer) of up to 1.5 per mille of the official value, charged without deducting mortgage debt. Saanen set its rate at 1.0 per mille in its 2020 budget. The proposed second-home levy would come on top of that, for qualifying properties only. Check the commune's current budget for today's rate, as it can change each year.
A worked illustration
Take a chalet in Saanen with an official value of CHF 4 million. Official values in Bern sit well below market value, so this might be a property that would sell for considerably more.
| Tax | Basis | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|
| Existing Liegenschaftssteuer at 1.0‰ | CHF 4,000,000 | CHF 4,000 |
| New second-home levy at the 3‰ maximum | CHF 4,000,000 | CHF 12,000 |
| New second-home levy at 1.5‰ | CHF 4,000,000 | CHF 6,000 |
These are illustrations of the arithmetic, not forecasts. Saanen has not announced a rate, and the official values themselves will be reassessed under the new valuation system.
The useful comparison is against what you pay today in income tax on the Eigenmietwert, minus your current maintenance and interest deductions. For an owner without a mortgage on a property of this size, income tax on the Eigenmietwert can exceed even the 3 per mille figure, although it depends entirely on the assessed rental value and the rate applied to you. For owners with heavy mortgages and high maintenance spending, the picture is different. Ask your advisor to run both numbers side by side.
Who Wins and Who Loses
This is our reading of the draft. Your own numbers will decide it.
Likely better off
- Owners with little or no mortgage who use the chalet themselves. They lose a deduction they barely used and stop paying income tax on deemed rent.
- Owners in high marginal tax brackets, where the Eigenmietwert was taxed expensively.
Likely worse off, or roughly neutral
- Owners with large mortgages. Interest on a holiday home will largely stop being deductible against income.
- Owners planning heavy renovation work. Repairs on an owner-occupied chalet would no longer reduce taxable income. If you are planning a chalet renovation in Gstaad and the work qualifies as maintenance, timing it before 2029 may matter. Energy-related works are treated more kindly in the draft.
- Owners whose municipality chooses the full 3 per mille on a high official value.
Lump-sum taxpayers
If you are taxed on expenditure, the canton has said the control calculation of seven times the annual rental value (or the local market rent) will still apply. Your position needs a separate review with your advisor. Our guide to lump-sum taxation in Switzerland explains the mechanics.
What Remains Open
A great deal, which is why we would not restructure anything yet.
- The definition of mainly owner-occupied. A chalet let for six weeks over Christmas and February and used by the family the rest of the year could fall on either side, depending on the wording. If you rent your property, read our guide to renting out a chalet in Gstaad legally.
- Whether Saanen levies it, and at what rate. The draft makes the tax optional for each commune.
- The new valuation method. A higher official value raises both the existing property tax and any new levy, and affects wealth tax for Swiss residents.
- The vote itself. Bernese voters could reject the constitutional amendment.
- Interaction with the Lex Koller reform. The separate federal consultation on tightening foreign purchases closed in July 2026. It does not change the tax rules, but both reforms affect the same buyers.
What we Would Do Now
- Ask your advisor for a 2028 versus 2029 comparison of your own tax position, using your actual mortgage, maintenance spend and rental use.
- Review your mortgage strategy. The tax case for holding debt on a second home weakens considerably from 2029.
- Schedule maintenance works deliberately. Deductible maintenance in 2027 and 2028 may be worth more than the same work in 2029.
- Factor a conservative second-home levy into your annual budget if you are buying now. Our breakdown of the annual costs of owning a chalet in Gstaad is a good starting point; we would add a line for this.
- Watch the consultation results after January 2027 and the Grand Council debate that follows.
For the wider picture of how property is taxed here today, see our guide to property taxes in Canton Bern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Eigenmietwert being abolished for second homes too?
Yes. From 1 January 2029 the imputed rental value disappears for owner-occupied second homes as well as primary residences. In exchange, cantons may introduce a special property tax on mainly owner-occupied second homes.
How much will the new second-home tax in Canton Bern be?
The Bern government's draft, sent to consultation in October 2026, would let each municipality levy up to 3 per mille of the official value on mainly owner-occupied second homes. The final rate, and whether Saanen levies it at all, is not yet decided.
When will Bern decide on the second-home tax?
The consultation runs until 15 January 2027. Because the cantonal constitution must be amended, Bernese voters are expected to decide in the second half of 2028, before the new regime starts in 2029.
Will rented chalets in Gstaad pay the new tax?
The draft targets second homes that are mainly used by their owners. Rented properties continue to declare actual rental income and keep their maintenance deductions. How Bern will define mainly owner-occupied is still open.
If you own in the Saanenland, or are weighing a purchase and want to understand what the next five years of tax will look like, we are happy to talk it through and introduce you to the right tax specialist. Get in touch.
Sources:
- Federal Tax Administration: Federal Council sets abolition of Eigenmietwert for 2029
- Canton Bern TaxInfo: Systemwechsel bei der Wohneigentumsbesteuerung
- Plattform J: Berner Steuerrevision 2029, 16 October 2026
- Plattform J: Saanen budget and tax rates, December 2019
- Federal Tax Administration: Besteuerung der Eigenmietwerte (2026)
- SRF: Ab 2029 muss der Eigenmietwert nicht mehr versteuert werden
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