I have the following issue and looks like the info I find is a bit mixed. I am officially registered in Kanton ZH, where I rent a place with my partner. This is our main residence in Switzerland. My partner works in ZH. Some time ago I started working in Kanton SG. I rented a small place where I stay 3 days per week. 2 days home office at my main place in ZH and weekends at ZH.
Now, the tax authorities of SG are saying that since I am not married, I need to register where my work is, aka Kanton SG. I understand they want my taxes to be paid at SG and not ZH, but I am temporarily living in SG (3 days per week) until I start commuting with car and give up my little apartment here in SG.
Anyone ever had a similar case and how did you deal with it?
I did register as Wochenaufenthalter with SG Gemeinde and got my certificate document. But it's the SG Steueramt that came in touch saying I need register with SG for tax purposes. Don't get how the Gemeinde and the Steueramt in SG are not communicating.
Refuse to give into SG tax authorities’ request and provide proof that you are indeed returning to the center of your vital interests in ZH on weekends and that you are in fact a weekly commuter. This should keep them away for 5 years or so. Over 5 years it becomes increasingly difficult to disprove that your center of interests are in SG.
Did you start working in SG after the beginning of this year? If so, if you start commuting with your car before the end of the year, you will be taxed in ZH without question, so the SG tax office request becomes moot.
Basically ZH will look at accepting you as a “Wochenaufenthalter” more favourably than SG. They have to allow higher deductions from your income but still keep you under taxation. SG however, would prefer to tax you fully instead of picking up the few crumbs ZH throws at them.
Thus it’s up to you to make a case which convinces SG that your Lebensmittelpunkt is and remains in ZH.
If you are Wochenaufenthalter in ZH, then you need a main residency as well. It follows from basic logic that your main residence is SG. Why? As you have two place of residence, the other is not the main residence, but you need a main residence.
In short you phuked up big time. You should have registered ZH as your main residence and SG as your Wochenaufenthalt. Exactly the opposite of what you did.
Your possible recourse: The actual situation, and not what you have declared is important. Be prepared to pay for the mess you caused, and lot of time until it is sorted out. You would have to explain that you did not know what "Wochenaufenthalter" actually means and you confused the concepts (like others in this thread)
I think the one confused here may be you. OP clearly said in their first post they are officially registered in ZH, which is where their main residence is.
Following your logic of how you understood it, how could OP even have registered as a weekly commuter in ZH, the same canton they had their primary residence since the beginning, without providing documentation from another canton (in this case SG)?
There is probably a typo in their second post which you quoted. I believe what OP meant to say is they obtained a certificate of residence in ZH and provided that to the townhall in SG to register as a weekly commuter.
Apologies for my mistake, I corrected it. I registered with SG as Wochenaufenthalter and got the certificate/proof. So I am not sure why SG Steueramt is coming in touch with me.
One simple letter addressed to the same person writing to you from SG Steueramt sent in A+ mail outlaying what I mentioned earlier should do the trick.
Specially in case of young people they assume center of life is where they work/study. SG might think especially think your ZH residence is with your parents.
The more points you can show that ZH is your center of life the better. Example, that you live with your (long term) GF instead parents, that you have also signed the rental contract in ZH, that the SG apartment is much smaller/the bare necessity, the number of days you spend in ZH (make a list of all the days you spent in Zurich), grocery purchases, restaurant bills, scooter rentals, association memberships, gym visits, ...
Many thanks, this is helpful. I do have a rental contract in ZH with my partner for a much bigger apartment. I travel every week back to ZH since I only need to be in office 3 days. As advised, I will provide them with all the info/proof I have.
A few years the Genevan tax authorities tried to force commuters from Vaud to make tax declarations in Geneva. On legal advice they were told in no uncertain terms to pound sand. Where you pay your taxes is clearly defined by federal rules.
You need to stand up to the SG tax authorities. Just keep on reminding them that you are only resident during the week and keep on sending them copies of your certificate. At some stage they will go away, but they can be quite persistent.