Switzerland's Postponement of Crypto Tax Highlights Worldwide Regulatory Stalemate

Switzerland will not start sharing cryptocurrency tax information with foreign authorities until 2027, even though the legal framework is scheduled to be in force from January 2026, according to the Federal Council’s announcement on Wednesday. The postponement is due to ongoing political discussions to determine which partner countries will be included under the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF). These new regulations are designed to subject crypto assets to the same international tax transparency requirements as traditional financial accounts, but their rollout depends on resolving cross-border coordination challenges.

The updated ordinance, which received approval from the Federal Council, requires crypto service providers to register, conduct due diligence, and report client information if they have substantial ties to Switzerland. These obligations are consistent with the OECD’s 2023 AEOI standards for crypto assets, which

This postponement highlights the broader difficulties in achieving global consistency for crypto tax regulations. Switzerland intends to exchange information with 74 jurisdictions—including all EU countries, the UK, and most G20 members—but the U.S., China, and Saudi Arabia are not included at this stage due to either non-adherence to CARF or the absence of reciprocal agreements. Since 2024, the Federal Council has been in talks with 111 jurisdictions, but full mutual alignment has yet to be reached. For crypto businesses, the revised regulations introduce a transition phase: service providers must comply with new requirements by 2026, even though data sharing will not begin until 2027.

The postponement illustrates the challenges major economies face in synchronizing crypto transparency measures. Switzerland’s domestic AEOI legal framework was passed by the Federal Assembly in 2025, but parliamentary discussions regarding partner countries will not finish until 2026. This delay highlights the difficulty of balancing strict regulation with diplomatic considerations in the crypto industry. Meanwhile, the OECD’s expanded AEOI program, which builds on existing financial account reporting standards, has been adopted by more than 100 countries, marking a move toward coordinated global crypto tax oversight.