Living in Gex and working in Switzerland: Geneva or eight cantons, depending on the canton of employment regime
Gex falls under the Geneva or eight cantons, depending on the canton of employment regime: for a typical cross-border profile that means about CHF 3,597 (Geneva) / €8,993 (eight cantons) of annual tax on Swiss income.
Updated:
- Population
- 13,627
- Distance to crossing
- 12 km
- Sauverny
- Average rent
- €1,059
- /month
- Estimated annual tax
- CHF 3,597 (Geneva) / €8,993 (eight cantons)
- /year
How the taxation works
Which regime applies depends on the Swiss canton where you work, not on the town you live in and not on the crossing nearest your home. Two people in the same town working in different cantons fall under different regimes.
Gex sits in a department bordering both canton Geneva and a canton under the 1983 agreement, so both regimes are genuinely possible for its residents. Both are described below — the one that applies to you is set by your employer's canton.
If you live in Gex and work in canton Geneva, the 1973 cross-border agreement applies: the Swiss employer withholds tax at source under barème A0. Geneva retrocedes 3.5% of the cross-border payroll mass to France, which grants a full tax credit — no double taxation.
If you live in Gex and work in one of the eight cantons under the 1983 agreement (here Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura or Valais), France taxes you: it taxes the full Swiss income via the annual return, with a flat-rate 10% allowance and the French progressive scale. Switzerland receives a 4.5% compensation from France in return. For the reference profile the annual tax is about €8,993.
Source: ge.ch, "Barèmes 2026 impôt source" (pubblicato 2025-12-05); accord frontalieri Genève 1973 (rsGE D 1 45) — impots.gouv.fr, brochure ufficiale "Déclaration des revenus 2025" (barème + forfait 10% + décote); accord frontalieri 1983
Useful reading
The calculator implements the Italy-Switzerland cross-border regime (Ticino withholding tax plus Italian IRPEF with its allowance). It does not reproduce the regime described on this page, so its result does not apply to residents here.
Compared with the nearest towns
Within 13 km of Gex there are 6 towns with a page on this site: Cessy, Divonne-les-Bains, Ornex, Prevessin-Moens, Saint-Genis-Pouilly and Thoiry.
Across this group the distance to the border runs from 4 km (Cessy) to 12 km (Gex).
Gex sits at 12 km: 7 of 7 counting from the lowest.
Of 7 comparable towns, this page ranks 2 on indicative monthly rent, at €1,059.
Ahead in the ranking, in order: Cessy.
Further down the ranking: Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Ornex, Thoiry, Prevessin-Moens and Divonne-les-Bains.
just ahead is Cessy (€1,039)
just behind is Saint-Genis-Pouilly (€1,128)
Across the group the highest value is €1,392 (Divonne-les-Bains) and the lowest €1,039 (Cessy).
Of 7 comparable towns, this page ranks 2 on population, at 13,627.
Ahead in the ranking, in order: Saint-Genis-Pouilly.
Further down the ranking: Divonne-les-Bains, Prevessin-Moens, Thoiry, Cessy and Ornex.
just ahead is Saint-Genis-Pouilly (14,432)
just behind is Divonne-les-Bains (10,464)
Across the group the highest value is 14,432 (Saint-Genis-Pouilly) and the lowest 5,082 (Ornex).
Of 20 comparable towns, this page ranks 5 on population, at 13,627.
Ahead in the ranking, in order: Annemasse, Pontarlier, Saint-Julien-en-Genevois and Saint-Genis-Pouilly.
Further down the ranking: Gaillard, Divonne-les-Bains, Ville-la-Grand, Prevessin-Moens, Reignier-Esery, Cranves-Sales, Morteau, Thoiry, Ambilly, Cessy, Delle, Cruseilles, Villers-le-Lac, Ornex and Hauts de Bienne.
just ahead is Saint-Genis-Pouilly (14,432)
just behind is Gaillard (11,423)
Across the group the highest value is 37,628 (Annemasse) and the lowest 5,032 (Hauts de Bienne).
Of 20 comparable towns, this page ranks 15 on the distance to the border, at 12 km.
Ahead in the ranking, in order: Gaillard, Ambilly, Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, Cessy, Delle, Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Ornex, Prevessin-Moens, Annemasse, Ville-la-Grand, Divonne-les-Bains, Thoiry, Reignier-Esery and Villers-le-Lac.
Further down the ranking: Hauts de Bienne, Pontarlier, Cruseilles, Morteau and Cranves-Sales.
just ahead is Villers-le-Lac (11 km)
just behind is Hauts de Bienne (15 km)
Across the group the highest value is 19 km (Cranves-Sales) and the lowest 2 km (Gaillard).
Of 20 comparable towns, this page ranks 12 on indicative monthly rent, at €1,059.
Ahead in the ranking, in order: Delle, Hauts de Bienne, Pontarlier, Villers-le-Lac, Morteau, Ville-la-Grand, Gaillard, Cruseilles, Reignier-Esery, Cessy and Annemasse.
Further down the ranking: Ambilly, Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Ornex, Thoiry, Prevessin-Moens and Divonne-les-Bains.
Tied with this page: Cranves-Sales (€1,059).
just behind is Ambilly (€1,064)
Across the group the highest value is €1,392 (Divonne-les-Bains) and the lowest €533 (Delle).
Of 7 comparable towns, this page ranks 2 on population in Ain, at 13,627.
Ahead in the ranking, in order: Saint-Genis-Pouilly.
Further down the ranking: Divonne-les-Bains, Prevessin-Moens, Thoiry, Cessy and Ornex.
just ahead is Saint-Genis-Pouilly (14,432)
just behind is Divonne-les-Bains (10,464)
Across the group the highest value is 14,432 (Saint-Genis-Pouilly) and the lowest 5,082 (Ornex).
Of 7 comparable towns, this page ranks 7 on distance in Ain, at 12 km.
Ahead in the ranking, in order: Cessy, Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Ornex, Prevessin-Moens, Divonne-les-Bains and Thoiry.
just ahead is Thoiry (8 km)
Across the group the highest value is 12 km (Gex) and the lowest 4 km (Cessy).
Of 7 comparable towns, this page ranks 2 on rent in Ain, at €1,059.
Ahead in the ranking, in order: Cessy.
Further down the ranking: Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Ornex, Thoiry, Prevessin-Moens and Divonne-les-Bains.
just ahead is Cessy (€1,039)
just behind is Saint-Genis-Pouilly (€1,128)
Across the group the highest value is €1,392 (Divonne-les-Bains) and the lowest €1,039 (Cessy).
The Sauverny crossing also serves Cessy.
The six nearest towns use these reference crossings: Sauverny, Crassier-Divonne, Ferney-Voltaire / Grand-Saconnex and Meyrin / CERN.
The dataset links the Ain department to canton Geneva through the Sauverny crossing; the canton where you work, not this route, determines the tax regime.
| Town | Distance from here | Distance to border | Population | Nearest crossing | One-bedroom rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gex (here) | — | 12 km | 13,627 | Sauverny | €1,059 |
| Cessy | 4.7 km | 4 km | 5,832 | Sauverny | €1,039 |
| Divonne-les-Bains | 5.5 km | 6 km | 10,464 | Crassier-Divonne | €1,392 |
| Ornex | 8.9 km | 4 km | 5,082 | Ferney-Voltaire / Grand-Saconnex | €1,150 |
| Prevessin-Moens | 10 km | 4 km | 9,153 | Ferney-Voltaire / Grand-Saconnex | €1,232 |
| Saint-Genis-Pouilly | 11 km | 4 km | 14,432 | Meyrin / CERN | €1,128 |
| Thoiry | 13 km | 8 km | 6,569 | Meyrin / CERN | €1,183 |
Straight-line distances computed from the town-centre coordinates in our dataset. Road distance to the nearest crossing, population and indicative rent from the French municipal dataset (INSEE). Rent estimate based on 4,353 DGALN/DHUP observations.
FAQ
Which tax regime applies in Gex?
It depends on the Swiss canton where you work, not on the town you live in. From Gex both Geneva and cantons under the 1983 agreement are commutable: work in Geneva and tax is withheld at source; work in Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura or Valais and you declare and pay in France.
Do Geneva and the eight cantons tax the same way?
No. In Geneva the employer withholds Swiss tax at source (barème A0) and France grants a full credit. In the Vaud/Neuchâtel/Jura/Valais group, France taxes the full income via the annual return with a flat 10% allowance, while Switzerland receives a direct financial compensation from France.
How much does renting cost in Gex?
The estimated average monthly rent in Gex is about €1,059 (DGALN/DHUP "Carte des loyers" data, 50 m² reference).
Estimates for guidance only. Actual taxation depends on family situation, deductions and the tax return. Always check with a tax adviser.