Taxes · Chihuahua
California spares its billionaires – your Chihuahua keeps paying
Der Hündeler, Edition of Wednesday, 11 November 2026
What happened
Voters in California have rejected a special tax on billionaires. Opponents had put a great deal of money into an advertising campaign – successfully: the majority said no.
What does this mean for your Chihuahua?
In California the Chihuahua is the dog of the rich and famous and travels in handbags that cost more than a used car. In Switzerland it is one thing above all: taxable. Practically every municipality levies a dog tax, somewhere between about 50 and 200 francs a year depending on where you live, usually the same for two kilos of dog as for sixty. In other words: a Chihuahua in the Zurich suburb of Dietikon is taxed more reliably than a tech billionaire in Palo Alto. No multi-million counter-campaign by the dogs is known.
What you can do now: Check the dog tag. The municipality does too.