Skip to content
Taxes

Deducting your cleaner from your taxes: mostly no - but 4 exceptions are worth up to CHF 25’800

Many households hope to deduct cleaning help costs from their taxes. The short answer: in most cases, you can’t. But there are four important exceptions - and knowing them can save you up to CHF 25,800 per year.

September 3, 2026·9 min read
Answer in 30 seconds

No - as a rule you can NOT deduct your cleaner from your taxes. Cleaning, laundry and cooking count as private living costs (Art. 34 let. a DBG). It only becomes deductible when the help is something other than housework: childcare or disability-related help.

  • Exception 1: Third-party childcare (nanny, au pair) - up to CHF 25,800 per child per year (federal tax).
  • Exception 2: Disability-related help - fully deductible, no deductible threshold, with medical certificate.
  • Exceptions 3 and 4 are edge cases: nursing costs during illness (care only, 5% deductible) and cleaning as property maintenance (rental property, not your own home).
  • Without AHV registration, no tax deduction is possible - registration is the basic prerequisite.

This applies when

For private households with a cleaner, nanny or caregiver - tax year 2026.

Official sources

Deduction check: 3 questions, instant result

Tax Deduction Check

3 questions - instant result

Do you have children under 14 in your household?

The Basic Rule: Cleaning Help Is Not Deductible

Swiss federal courts and the Federal Tax Administration (ESTV) are clear: costs for household help who cleans, irons or cooks at your home are private living expenses. They fall under Art. 34 lit. a DBG - and are not deductible.

Legal basis: Art. 34 lit. a DBG (Federal Direct Tax Act)

«Costs of living and related expenses cannot be deducted from income.»

The 4 Exceptions: When You Can Deduct

There are exactly four situations where household help costs are tax-deductible. All four are tied to strict conditions.

For a household with a cleaner or nanny, exceptions 1 and 2 are almost always the only ones that matter. Exceptions 3 and 4 cover nursing situations and rental properties.

1

Third-Party Childcare

Art. 33 Para. 3 DBG

If your nanny or au pair cares for children under 14, you can deduct the childcare portion. Important: for a nanny who also cleans and cooks, only about 50% of the net salary counts as childcare.

Max. CHF 25,800/child (federal)
2

Disability-Related Costs

Art. 33 Para. 1 lit. hᵇᶦˢ DBG

If you or a dependent person requires household help due to a disability, the full amount is deductible - with no deductible threshold. Requirement: a medical certificate.

No maximum
3

Illness & Accident Costs

Art. 33 Para. 1 lit. h DBG

If a person requiring care receives nursing at home, the care costs can be deducted. But only nursing care - not cleaning, cooking or shopping. A 5% deductible of net income also applies.

Minus 5% deductible
4

Property Maintenance

Art. 32 Para. 2 DBG

If cleaning costs are part of property maintenance (e.g., stairwell cleaning, rental property cleaning, Airbnb cleaning), they can be deducted as property upkeep costs. Does not apply to normal home cleaning.

Actual costs or lump sum

Childcare Deduction: What You Need to Know

The childcare deduction is the most common tax deduction related to household help. Since 2023, the federal maximum is CHF 25,000 per child (inflation-adjusted to CHF 25,800 for 2026). Cantonal limits vary significantly.

CHF 25'800
Fed. max./child
CHF 25'300
Zurich canton
50%
Nanny portion
< 14
Child's age

What is deductible?

  • •Daycare and after-school care fees (minus meal costs)
  • •Family daycare / extended school care
  • •Nanny / au pair: approx. 50% of net salary (care portion)
  • •Holiday care programmes
  • •Transport to childcare (within the maximum)

What is NOT deductible?

  • •Meal costs at daycare (must be subtracted from invoices!)
  • •Leisure activities (sports, music, scouts)
  • •Babysitting for parents’ leisure time
  • •Unpaid care by relatives

Requirements

Child under 14 years, living in the same household
Costs arise due to employment, training or incapacity of both parents
Proof: invoices, wage certificate of the caregiver

Example: family in Zurich with a nanny

One child (age 6), both parents working. The nanny earns CHF 30'000 gross per year, looks after the child and also does housework.

  1. 1Care share approx. 50%: CHF 15'000 eligible
  2. 2Below both caps (canton of Zurich CHF 25’300, federal CHF 25’800): full deduction CHF 15'000
  3. 3Marginal tax rate 25%: about CHF 3'750 less tax per year

These are the default values of the calculator below - change canton, wage and tax rate for your case. Without a registered nanny and a wage certificate the tax office accepts none of it.

The nanny tax deduction calculator works out in a minute what this childcare deduction is worth with an employed nanny in your canton. For what daycare, day families and a nanny cost overall, see Childcare costs in Switzerland.

Cantonal Maximum Amounts (Childcare)

The federal deduction is max. CHF 25,800 per child. For cantonal and municipal taxes, lower limits often apply:

CantonCantonal taxFederal tax
ZürichCHF 25’300CHF 25’800
BernCHF 16’000CHF 25’800
LuzernCHF 20’200CHF 25’800
UriCHF 25’800CHF 25’800
SchwyzCHF 8’000CHF 25’800
ObwaldenCHF 10’000CHF 25’800
NidwaldenCHF 8’400CHF 25’800
GlarusCHF 25’800CHF 25’800
ZugCHF 25’400CHF 25’800
FreiburgCHF 12’000CHF 25’800
SolothurnCHF 25’800CHF 25’800
Basel-StadtCHF 26’000CHF 25’800
Basel-LandschaftCHF 10’000CHF 25’800
SchaffhausenCHF 9’400CHF 25’800
Appenzell A.Rh.CHF 25’000CHF 25’800
Appenzell I.Rh.CHF 18’000CHF 25’800
St. GallenCHF 26’800CHF 25’800
GraubündenCHF 27’300CHF 25’800
AargauCHF 25’000CHF 25’800
ThurgauCHF 10’100CHF 25’800
TessinCHF 26’200CHF 25’800
WaadtCHF 15’200CHF 25’800
WallisCHF 10’000CHF 25’800
NeuenburgCHF 20’400CHF 25’800
GenfCHF 26’392CHF 25’800
JuraCHF 10’600CHF 25’800

Sources: Cantonal tax offices, ESTV cantonal sheets (as of 2026)

How much do you actually save?

Pick your canton and estimate the deduction and tax saving - only the care portion of a registered carer is deductible.

Tax savings calculator

Estimate your deduction and savings

CHF 30’000
Eligible childcare costsCHF 15’000
Cantonal/municipal deduction (max. CHF 25’300)CHF 15’000
Federal deduction (max. CHF 25’800)CHF 15’000

Estimated tax saving / year

~CHF 3’750

Register now to claim it →

Estimate at your marginal rate (approx. ¾ cantonal/municipal, ¼ federal). Actual saving depends on income, canton and commune. Requirement: a registered carer with a wage certificate.

Disability-Related Costs & Nursing Care

If you or a dependent person requires household help due to a disability, you can deduct the full costs - with no cap and no 5% deductible threshold.

Unlike the childcare deduction, pure household tasks (cleaning, cooking, laundry) count here too - provided the person cannot perform them due to their disability.

What is required?

1Medical certificate confirming the limitation
2Invoices / wage certificates of the household employee
3Proof of helplessness allowance (if applicable, will be deducted)

Nursing care for illness

Nursing care costs (e.g. Spitex basic care) for illness can also be deducted - but only the amount exceeding 5% of net income (Art. 33 Para. 1 lit. h DBG). Pure household work for sick persons does NOT qualify here.

How to Claim the Deduction

You claim the deduction in your annual tax return; the proof is the salary certificate for your household help. Depending on the canton it appears under a different field.

Basic requirement: you must first register your cleaner with the AHV - without this registration the compensation fund issues no wage certificate and the tax office accepts no deduction. For the whole tax return see the complete guide to the tax return for employers, and for filling it in the best digital tax tools in Switzerland.

1

Register your household employee

Register with the AHV compensation fund. Without registration, no wage certificate - and without a wage certificate, no deduction. With Clino, it takes just minutes.

2

Collect documents

Daycare invoices, wage certificates, employment contracts, medical certificates (for disability). Separate meal costs from daycare invoices.

3

Enter in tax return

Childcare: under “Children” / “Third-party childcare costs”. Disability: under “Disability-related costs” (e.g. field 16.4 in Zurich).

4

Keep records

Keep all documents for at least 5 years. The tax office can request proof at any time. Clino stores all payslips automatically in your dashboard.

Checklist: Documents for Tax Deduction

Wage certificate: how it goes between you and your nanny

Maria

online

Hi! I'm doing my tax return. Can you send me the wage certificate for last year?

10:14

Sure, coming as a PDF in a minute. Clino created it from the payslips.

10:15

Thanks! Do you need anything from me for your childcare deduction?

10:16

No, the wage certificate and the employment contract are enough for the tax office. I only deduct the care share, not the whole wage.

10:18
Message

6 Common Tax Deduction Mistakes

1

Declaring cleaning costs as childcare

Only the care portion is deductible. For a nanny who also cleans: approx. 50% of salary. Not 100%.

2

Forgetting to subtract daycare meals

Meal costs must be subtracted from daycare invoices. Only the pure care fee counts.

3

Claiming without registration

Without AHV registration, there is no wage certificate. Without a wage certificate, the tax office won’t accept any deduction.

4

Ignoring the cantonal maximum

The federal deduction is CHF 25,800 - but cantonally often between CHF 8,000 (SZ) and CHF 27,300 (GR). Check your canton.

5

Separated parents claiming the full amount

With alternating custody, each parent can only deduct up to 50% of the maximum amount.

6

Declaring household costs as illness costs

Only nursing services (Spitex basic care) qualify as illness costs. Cleaning and cooking for sick persons does not count.

Without Registration

  • •No wage certificate possible
  • •Tax deduction rejected
  • •Risk: fine up to CHF 10,000 (undeclared work)
  • •Accident: the substitute fund pays, then bills you replacement premiums

Registered with Clino

  • •Wage certificate generated automatically
  • •All deductions correctly documented
  • •Registered by the book, no nasty surprises
  • •Accident insurance selectable via VAVplus

Secure your tax deduction - in minutes

Clino prepares your household employee's AHV registration and walks you through it, creates payslips and delivers the tax certificate - so your deduction is guaranteed to be accepted.

Try free for 30 days

Free Checklist: Hire Household Help Correctly

AHV, accident insurance, contract. All on one page, by email in 30 seconds.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I deduct my cleaner from taxes?
No - pure cleaning costs are not deductible. They count as private living expenses (Art. 34 lit. a DBG). Deductible are only: childcare (nanny/au pair), disability-related household help (with certificate) and nursing care costs (with 5% threshold).
How much can I deduct for childcare?
For federal tax, max. CHF 25,800 per child per year (for 2026). For cantonal/municipal taxes, lower limits apply: e.g. Zurich CHF 25,300, Bern CHF 16,000, Lucerne CHF 20,200. Check your canton’s tax guide.
What is the simplified procedure (VAV)?
Under VAV, the household employee pays a flat 5% withholding tax instead of filing their own tax return. Settlement happens once yearly via the compensation fund. The fund automatically issues a tax certificate.
Do I need a wage certificate for the tax deduction?
Yes - either a classic wage certificate or the tax certificate from the compensation fund (under simplified procedure). Without this proof, the tax office won’t accept any deduction. Clino generates the documents automatically.
Can I deduct daycare and nanny costs simultaneously?
Yes - you can combine different care forms. As long as total costs per child don’t exceed the maximum (CHF 25,800 federal, cantonally lower), all forms are deductible.
Does the deduction also apply if only one parent works?
As a rule, no. The childcare deduction requires that care is needed because both parents (or the single parent) are working, in education or unable to work - during that time. A part-time job is enough, but the care hours must fall within the working hours (Art. 33 para. 3 DBG).

Sources & further information

Further Reading

Salvador Jovells

Salvador Jovells, founder of Clino