11.3 Tax assessment period

The VAT Law stipulates that the VAT is levied per tax period. In general, the tax period is the calendar year. Thus, in case of a tax audit, the tax assessment has to cover one full year.

In principle, the FTA can arrange for a tax audit any time as long as the tax claim is not yet prescribed. In Switzerland, the prescription period is five years after the end of the tax period in which the tax claim incurred. This means that in the year 2014, the last open year for a tax assessment is the year 2009.