Switzerland and Italy have signed an agreement establishing tax regulations for cross-border commuters.

Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter and Italy’s Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti have signed an amendment to the existing cross-border commuters agreement, according to the Swiss Federal Department of Finance (SIF).

The amendment, which replaces the previous understanding agreement, does not alter the key aspects of the current regulation. As of the beginning of the year, cross-border commuters are allowed to work from home for up to a quarter of their working hours. This remote work arrangement does not affect which state taxes their income or their status as cross-border commuters.

Under the cross-border commuter agreement that came into force in July 2023, Switzerland retains 80% of the withholding tax on the income of Italian cross-border commuters. New cross-border commuters will also be subject to regular taxation in their country of residence, which aims to eliminate double taxation.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, nearly 80,000 Italian workers cross the Swiss border into the canton of Ticino daily, most of them from Lombardy. In total, over 90,000 cross-border commuters come from Italy.