Crypto Reporter
Shalini Nagarajan
Crypto Reporter
Shalini Nagarajan
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Switzerland is delaying the automatic exchange of information on crypto accounts with foreign tax authorities until at least 2027. It is still putting the legal framework for that data sharing in place from Jan. 1, 2026.
At a meeting on Wednesday, the Federal Council signed off on changes to the ordinance that governs how Switzerland takes part in international tax information exchange. These changes implement updates to the underlying law, and both will come into force at the start of 2026.
Parliament already backed the broader move in its 2025 autumn session, agreeing to extend Switzerland’s role in global tax data sharing in line with standards set by the OECD.
Crypto Service Providers Face Fresh Compliance And Due Diligence Rules
That package updates the common reporting rules for financial accounts and folds in the new Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, which sets out how crypto holdings should be reported. If no referendum is called, the legal changes will kick in on schedule.
For crypto firms, the revised rules are clear. Service providers will have to register, report relevant client data and perform basic checks on customers if they have a sufficient link to Switzerland.
The ordinance also brings more associations and foundations into scope, while exempting those that meet certain criteria, and includes transition measures to give firms time to adapt to the new reporting regime.
The revised ordinance spells out what this means in practice for crypto businesses. It introduces a duty for crypto service providers to report, to carry out due diligence and to register, and it defines when they have a sufficient link to Switzerland to fall under the rules.
However, a key political decision has pushed back the actual start date for crypto data sharing.
Crypto Reporting Rules Will Remain Dormant Until Partners Are Agreed
On Nov. 3, 2025, the Economic Affairs and Taxation Committee of the National Council suspended its work on the list of partner states with which Switzerland intends to exchange data under CARF.
Crypto reporting rules will sit on the books but remain inactive until Switzerland is ready to begin exchanges with partner jurisdictions.
As a result, CARF will be written into law from Jan. 2026, but it will not be implemented on Jan. 1, 2026 as originally planned. The earliest possible start date is now 2027.
Setback Tests How Quickly Major Economies Can Align On Crypto Transparency
The delay comes after Switzerland spent last year preparing to bring crypto into its international tax transparency framework.
The Federal Council launched a consultation on a bill designed to enable the sharing of crypto asset information with 111 jurisdictions that already participate in automatic information exchange, subject to their compliance with the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework.
Under that plan, Switzerland expects eventually to exchange crypto tax data with 74 jurisdictions that both meet CARF standards and show reciprocal interest.
The group includes all EU member states, the UK and most G20 countries, such as Japan, Australia and Canada. It does not currently include the US, China or Saudi Arabia, which are either not aligned with CARF or do not yet have the necessary agreements in place.
