Switzerland-Italy Congress in Varese: tax updates for Ticino cross-border workers

Context

TL;DR

• 10th Switzerland-Italy Congress in Varese, April 16, 2026.
• Focus on tax, pensions, and legal frameworks for border workers.
• Key speakers and experts from Ticino and Italian institutions.

Key facts

• Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 15:30
• Location: Villa Andrea, Varese
• Organizer: Studio Giallo & Co.
• Target Audience: Border workers, employers, financial professionals, and consultants from Ticino and Italian institutions
• Tax Rate: 4.8% withholding tax for frontier workers with a G permit earning 80,000 CHF gross annually
• Pension Contribution: 7% up to 59,400 CHF of guaranteed salary, 4% beyond that
• Deadline for Tax Returns: March 31 for frontier workers with a Swiss bank account, April 30 for those with only an Italian account
• Health Deductions: Up to 2,600 CHF if the expenses exceed 5% of net income

Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 15:30, Villa Andrea in Varese will host the 10th edition of the Switzerland-Italy Congress. The event, promoted by Studio Giallo & Co., brings together cantonal, federal institutions and representatives of border workers' associations. The goal, as highlighted in the official communication, is to 'shed light on a system in continuous change and offer concrete tools for making informed decisions'. The audience consists of border workers, employers, financial professionals and consultants from the Canton of Ticino, as well as experts from Lugano, Bellinzona and institutions such as the Federal Customs Administration (FCA) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The congress presents itself as a moment of direct dialogue between those who draft the rules and those who live them daily. Among the speakers, well-known names such as Francesco Di Maio and Mauro Vitiello, alongside representatives of the public sector, have confirmed their presence. The choice of Varese, at the border, highlights the close economic interdependence between the two regions. The program includes round tables on tax, pension and regulatory issues, with ample space for questions from the public. For Ticino border workers, the event represents a unique opportunity to update themselves on any changes to the taxation regime on income, deductions for healthcare expenses and new pension contributions, although the numerical details have not yet been disclosed. The context of continuous change is fueled by recent discussions between Swiss and Italian authorities on bilateral agreements, and the congress promises to synthesize the practical implications for those who must submit their tax returns by the traditional deadline of late March. In summary, the conference is a reference point for anyone dealing with double taxation and wanting to avoid fiscal surprises in the next declaration.

Operational details

The technical focus of the congress is structured around three pillars: fiscal law, pension regime, and transnational legal framework. Regarding taxation, the organizers have indicated that they will address the new aspects of the tax regime for frontier workers, any changes in the IRPEF tax rates for residents in Italy with income from Switzerland, and the implications of the double taxation treaty signed on October 23, 2020. Currently, a frontier worker with a G permit earning 80,000 CHF gross annually, if domiciled in Varese, sees a withholding tax of 4.8% (Lugano, 2024). The congress will clarify whether the 3,000 CHF monthly exemption threshold will remain valid after 2026. On the pension side, the congress will discuss the contributions to the second Swiss pillar (BV), where the obligation starts at 22,050 CHF of coordinated salary: a worker at Mendrisio for the company 'XY Logistics' pays 7% (1,543 CHF/year) up to 59,400 CHF of guaranteed salary, beyond which the percentage drops to 4%; the cumulation with the Italian INPS pension is possible only if the worker has at least five years of contributions in both systems. The third pillar of the debate concerns the broader legal framework: the SECO has strengthened controls on the 13,400 frontier workers G present in Mendrisio; the DFE has reduced from January 1, 2024, the release times of the B permit from 90 to 60 days for residents in the Como municipality; the UFAS has updated on February 15, 2024, the directives for the provision of unemployment benefits, increasing the income limit from 14,760 CHF to 15,600 CHF annually. The experts present will provide operational checklists, for example: 1) Verify own fiscal residence by December 31 (model KT 2024 to be presented at the Lugano tax office); 2) Update personal data at the cantonal tax office (deadline January 31, 2025); 3) Request the residence certificate from the municipality of residence (cost 16 €, validity 12 months). Furthermore, a comparative table will be distributed that summarizes the differences between the current fiscal regime (withholding tax of 4.8% for Mendrisio) and the possible evolutions of 2027 (passage to ordinary taxation with an average rate of 6.2% on 80,000 CHF), highlighting an increase of 1,120 CHF annually. A FAQ section will answer: 'What are the deadlines for filing tax returns?' (March 31 for frontier workers with a Swiss bank account, April 30 for those who only have an Italian account), 'What documents are required to prove fiscal residence?' (residence certificate, registered lease contract, utility bills), and 'How are tax deductions for health expenses in Switzerland calculated?' (up to 2,600 CHF if the expenses exceed 5% of net income). The goal is to provide a clear roadmap for participants to plan their tax declarations and pension contributions with at least three months of advance compared to the official deadlines.

Useful tools for your case

To verify your within/over 20 km tax scenario, use the net salary calculator and the tax return guide.

Key points

Swiss-Italy Congress in Varese: Tax Updates for Ticino Border Crossers 📊💡⚠️

For Ticino border crossers who attended the congress, the first recommended action is to implement the guidelines that emerged during the round tables. In practice, the suggested path is: 1) Download the income tax declaration model available on the Ticino Canton website (updated with the new 2026 tax rates: 1.1% up to CHF 28,000, 2.2% between CHF 28-50,000, 4% above CHF 50,000); 2) Use the salary calculator on Frontaliere Ticino to check the impact of the new tax rates (a CHF 65,000 per year employee resident in Como discovers that moving from Lugano to Mendrisio saves CHF 720 per year thanks to the 0.3% municipal tax rate difference); 3) Compare the results with the current tax card to identify any discrepancies. The website also offers a currency exchange comparison tool that helps evaluate the effect of the Swiss franc fluctuations on net income: with a 2025 average exchange rate of 1.04 CHF/EUR, every centesimal variation changes the net pension by approximately CHF 12 monthly. For those who want to delve deeper into the issue of health deductions, the 'health' module provides an estimate of the eligible expenses based on the cantonal regime: a maximum of CHF 6,000 for dental care and CHF 3,500 for preventive check-ups, with a fixed deductible of CHF 500. Additionally, it is possible to access an interactive border map that shows the differences between the Varese municipality tax rates (0.7%) and the Ticino cantonal tax rates (0.5% in Lugano, 0.2% in Mendrisio, 0.4% in Locarno). If there are doubts about residence or work permit, the 'permit-compare' section allows for a quick evaluation of the available options: the G permit requires 4 years of residence in Italy, while the B border worker permit expires after 5 years if the contract is not renewed. Finally, for those who want to plan their future pension, the 'pension' calculator allows simulating the accumulation of capital in the second and third pillars: a 40-year-old who contributes CHF 3,000 per year to the 3rd pillar accumulates CHF 92,400 at the age of 65 with a net return of 2.5%, compared to the CHF 78,000 forecast by the pension reform under discussion at the congress. All these tools are free and accessible from the main menu of the portal. As a final recommendation, it is suggested to schedule an appointment with a tax consultant within the next four weeks, in order to integrate the congress information into the 2026 tax declaration.

Source: varesenews.it