Staking taxation — Switzerland
How are staking rewards taxed in Switzerland?
What is staking?
Staking involves locking your crypto assets in a blockchain protocol to secure the network. In return, you receive rewards in the form of tokens.
Staking tax treatment in Switzerland
In Switzerland, staking income is generally taxable. It may be treated as miscellaneous income at a rate of 0% CGT (individuals). The euro value at the time of receipt determines the taxable amount.
Key points
Receipt
Tokens received from staking constitute taxable income at the date of receipt.
Sale
Selling staked tokens generates a capital gain calculated separately.
Cost basis
The cost basis is the euro value at the time the tokens are received.
Reporting
Report your staking income on: Steuererklärung (cantonal)
Lending and crypto loans
Crypto lending (lending your crypto assets in exchange for interest) is fiscally similar to staking: the interest received is taxable income valued at the euro price on the day of receipt.
Yield Farming and DeFi
Yield farming (DeFi liquidity provision) generates taxable rewards. Each reward received constitutes taxable income. Withdrawing liquidity may trigger a taxable event if the pool composition has changed.