Double taxation and transport: Ticino deputation questions (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• Question on double taxation between Switzerland and Italy
• Dividends: residual tax rate of 15%
• A2-A13: Comparison between FEDRO and FOEN
• Luino line at reduced speed

Key Facts

• Who → Paolo Panimi (UDC), with all the Ticino deputies
• Where → the Federal Palace
• Lake Maggiore → drop by up to 6 centimeters per day
• Luino → Swiss investments of more than 200 million francs
• Risk indicated → postponement of the project beyond 2050

At the Federal Palace, National Councillor Paolo Panimi (SVP) today submitted a question to the Federal Council signed by all Ticino deputies. The aim is to modernise the double taxation agreement between Switzerland and Italy and to clarify what concrete benefits it can bring, in particular to Ticino.

During the press conference of the Ticino deputation, Panimi explained that the act serves to collect information on possible advantages at national and regional level. Among the hypotheses indicated is the reduction of the residual tax rate on dividends, currently set at 15%.

For a cross-border commuter, the figure should be read for what it is: the source links 15% to dividends and does not present it as a new rate on wages. A change already applicable to employment income is not announced. The calcolatore fiscale can help to order one's numbers, but it does not transform the parliamentary hypothesis into an existing rule. The wording therefore indicates a cognitive phase, not the entry into force of a new tax treatment for those who work across the border.

Transport and open dossiers

On the mobility front, Simone Gianini (FDP) has brought the A2-A13 fast link between Bellinzona and Locarno back to the centre. The discussion involves FEDRO and FOEN: the latter is also asking to evaluate a variant on the right bank. To prevent the project from being postponed beyond 2050, the deputation has decided to consult the Federal Council.

President Bruno Storni (PS) instead raised the management of Lake Maggiore. According to his reconstruction, this summer "it was plundered by the Italian side", with a decrease in the water level of 6 centimeters per day. Storni hopes for an agreement with Italy to regulate the management of the lake.

Storni himself recalled the Luino railway line. Despite Swiss investments of more than 200 million francs, the section continues to operate at reduced capacity due to poor maintenance and problems on the Italian side.

The review of the three-week session also included the meeting with Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, who was also dedicated to relations with Italy and its upcoming presidential year, and those with Swiss Post CEO Roberto Cirillo and the Federal Department of Justice and Police. These meetings discussed the recruitment of Ticino employees and the presence of Italian-speakers in the Federal Administration.

Operational details

For a cross-border commuter in the Canton of Ticino, this is above all news about open dossiers, not a timetable for changes already decided. The double taxation request is not equivalent to a new 2026 tax agreement: the source describes a query that must collect information on possible benefits.

The tax data must be separated from the payslip

The most concrete figure is 15%, but its perimeter is precise: it refers to the residual tax rate on dividends. It is not described as a wage measure. There is no need to add details about G permits, AHV, LPP, LAG, rebates, INPS or withholding tax to this chronicle: the source does not deal with them. Therefore, these issues cannot be presented as effects already decided by the deputation. For the cross-border commuter, the prudent reading is to distinguish between a proposal for clarification addressed to the Federal Council and an actual regulatory change.

A project is not yet an available link

The road part has a potential impact on Ticino mobility, but does not yet provide a route to follow. A2-A13 indicates the Bellinzona-Locarno fast link; the discussion between FEDRO and FOEN indicates that the variant on the right bank is still on the table. The decision to consult the Federal Council stems from the fear of a postponement beyond 2050. The source does not include an opening date, a timetable, a definitive variant or indications for detours: it would not be correct to turn the debate into a work already available.

The Luino line should be read differently. Here we are talking about a section that continues to operate at reduced capacity, not a future connection. The cause indicated is the combination of poor maintenance and problems on the Italian side, despite Swiss investments of more than 200 million francs. For those who follow the mezzi pubblici Ticino, the practical distinction is therefore between a project that is still discussed and a line already described as reduced. The source does not provide timetables, frequencies or closures.

Lake Maggiore also remains on the level of the proposal: 6 centimeters per day is the figure reported by Storni for this summer, while the agreement with Italy is a wish to regulate management. A new operating regime is not described. The reader can thus avoid attributing immediate effects to the news that the text does not announce.

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Key points

To use this news in an operational way, it is advisable to proceed by separating the dossiers and noting only what is already written. No additional interpretations are needed to avoid the most common mistakes.

Four checks before drawing conclusions

1. Taxation. Mark 15% next to the dividend item: it is the residual rate indicated in the source. The reduction is one of the hypotheses of the question, not an announced change for the cross-border worker's paycheck. If the topic you are interested in is different, do not automatically transfer that number to other income.

2. Roads. If you are evaluating the A2-A13 dossier, correctly identify the Bellinzona-Locarno connection and the comparison between FEDRO and FOEN. The variant on the right bank is a request from the FOEN; the project is likely to be postponed beyond 2050. The source does not offer a construction date or an alternative route, so it does not yet present travel instructions.

3. Railway and lake. Keep the Luino line and Lake Maggiore separate. The first is described at reduced capacity due to insufficient maintenance and problems on the Italian side; the second is at the center of Storni's hope for an agreement with Italy, after a decrease in water that has reached 6 centimeters per day. They are two different dossiers, with different developments.

4. Institutions. In the report of the meetings, he records the conversation with Ignazio Cassis on relations with Italy and his upcoming presidential year, as well as the appointments with Roberto Cirillo and the Federal Department of Justice and Police. The topic of hiring Ticino employees and Italian-speakers in the Federal Administration is reported as a topic discussed, not as an application procedure.

Numbers not to be confused

Before quoting figures, separate the main news from the other headlines on the page. 3.7% concerns the increase in health insurance in Ticino for 2027: it is not the double taxation percentage. Another headline reports a Swiss case at 312 km/h in France: that figure does not concern either the A2-A13 or the Luino line.

After this check, use calcolatore fiscale to find your way around the available tax numbers.

Source: tio.ch