Domestic Help and Taxes in Switzerland 2026: What Can You Actually Deduct?

When tax season comes round, many Swiss households ask the same hopeful question: can I deduct what I pay for a cleaner, a nanny or home help? The honest answer has two parts. Ordinary cleaning and household help are usually not deductible. Childcare often is — but only up to set limits, and only when the work is declared.

This 2026 guide explains what actually counts, how much you can claim, and the one condition that decides everything: declared work. If you pay cash, there is no record — and no record means no deduction.

This article is general information, not tax advice. Rules vary by canton and personal situation, so check your cantonal tax office or a tax advisor for your case. If you would rather have the paperwork handled from the start, you can create a free client account and book a vetted helper.

The short answer

The dividing line is purpose. The tax system sees a clean home as a private benefit you pay for out of your own income. It sees childcare differently: when both parents have to work, study or are unable to care for a child, the cost of having someone else look after the child is treated as a cost of earning income — and that is deductible.

Why cleaning and household help usually aren't deductible

Federal and most cantonal tax offices class ordinary cleaning, ironing and household help as private living costs (Lebenshaltungskosten). These are not deductible, in the same way your groceries or rent are not. It does not matter whether you hire privately, through an agency or via a platform — the category is the same.

There is one important exception. If you have a disability that means you genuinely cannot run your household without help, part of the cost of household assistance can be deducted as disability-related costs. The rules are specific and require documentation, so confirm the details with your cantonal tax office.

If your main goal is a fair, predictable price for cleaning rather than a tax break, our 2026 cost guide breaks down what home help really costs once social contributions are included.

Childcare: the deduction that does exist

Childcare is the big one. For direct federal tax, you can deduct documented third-party childcare costs of up to CHF 25,800 per child per year in 2026. To qualify:

• the child is under 14 and lives in your household;
• the care is provided by a third party (a daycare, a childminder, or a nanny you employ);
• the cost is caused by your employment, training or inability to care for the child. For couples, both partners must be working, in training, or unable to provide care at the same time.

What counts as childcare costs: daycare and after-school fees, payments to childminders, and a nanny's wages for the hours she actually looks after your children while you work or study. What does not count: leisure activities, music or sports lessons, tutoring, and the travel or meals around a holiday camp.

How much your canton lets you deduct

The federal ceiling is the same everywhere, but cantonal ceilings vary a lot. A few examples for orientation:

Other cantons sit between these figures, and some set different age limits or documentation rules. Always check your own cantonal tax office for the exact ceiling before you file.

The catch: you can only deduct declared work

Here is the part that matters most. The childcare deduction is for documented costs. When the care is provided by someone you employ — a nanny, for example — the tax office asks you to attach a copy of the salary certificate (Lohnausweis) to your tax return. Some cantons, such as Zurich, state this explicitly.

That single requirement settles the cash-versus-declared debate. Cash in hand produces no contract, no salary certificate and no AHV record — so there is nothing to deduct. Declared work produces exactly the documents the tax office wants to see. In other words, declaring the work is not just the legal route; it is the only route that lets you claim the deduction. We explain the wider risks of undeclared work in Cash-in-Hand vs. Compliant Work.

It is also worth remembering that declared domestic work means AHV/AVS from the first franc and mandatory accident insurance for the person who helps you — protection for both sides that cash work simply doesn't provide. Our legal hiring guide walks through the full checklist.

A simple example

Imagine you employ a nanny for your two-year-old so you can work, and you pay CHF 18,000 in declared wages over the year.

• Federal tax: the full CHF 18,000 is below the CHF 25,800 ceiling, so the whole amount can be claimed.
• Cantonal tax: capped at your canton's limit — for example CHF 18,000 in Zurich (under the CHF 25,000 cap), but limited to roughly CHF 7,100 in Vaud.

The actual tax you save depends on your marginal rate and canton, so treat this as an illustration rather than a promise. The point is simple: a declared arrangement can return a meaningful slice of your childcare cost, while a cash arrangement returns nothing.

What you need to claim it

To claim home-help deductions cleanly, keep:

• the employment contract;
• the annual salary certificate (Lohnausweis);
• proof of AHV/AVS registration and contributions;
• receipts or invoices for childcare;
• a list of childcare costs with the recipients, attached to your tax return.

If assembling that paperwork sounds like work, it usually is — which is exactly the problem Helpore is built to solve.

How Helpore makes the deduction easy to claim

Helpore connects Swiss households with vetted helpers for cleaning, childcare, au pair and home help — and handles the compliance that makes deductions possible:

• Declared from hour one. Employment contract, AHV/AVS registration and accident insurance are set up from the start.
• Payroll and salary certificate handled. The Lohnausweis and payment records the tax office asks for are generated for you.
• One transparent price. You see the helper's rate and book; the admin is included.
• Fair for helpers, too. Helpers join free and keep 100% of their gross wage — there is no commission taken from their pay. The household pays a separate service fee on top.

Helpore launches to households across Switzerland on 1 November 2026, and you can set up your account now to be ready first.

• Create a free client account and book a helper
• How hiring home help works with Helpore
• Estimate your costs with the Helpore calculator
• Hiring a cleaner legally in 2026: the full checklist

Are you a cleaner, nanny or au pair? Create your free Helper profile as a Founding Helper.

Frequently asked questions

Can I deduct a cleaning lady or household help from my taxes?

Generally no — ordinary cleaning and household help are treated as private living costs and are not deductible. The main exception is disability-related help. Childcare is treated differently and can be deductible.

How much childcare can I deduct in 2026?

Up to CHF 25,800 per child per year for direct federal tax, for each child under 14 in your household, when the cost is caused by work, training or incapacity. Cantonal ceilings vary — for example around CHF 7,100 in Vaud and CHF 25,000 in Zurich.

Do I need declared work to claim it?

Yes. The deduction needs documented costs and, for employed carers, a salary certificate (Lohnausweis). Cash work has no record and cannot be deducted.

Is a privately employed nanny deductible?

Yes, as childcare, if the work is declared, you can show the cost, and it was needed because of your work, training or incapacity — up to the per-child ceilings.

Does it depend on my canton?

Yes. The federal ceiling applies everywhere, but each canton sets its own cantonal ceiling and details. Check your cantonal tax office.

Official sources

• Federal Tax Administration (ESTV) — deductions, rates and tariffs for direct federal tax: estv.admin.ch
• Canton of Zurich — Finance Directorate ruling on social deductions and the third-party childcare deduction (from the 2026 tax period): zh.ch
• Canton of Vaud — tax deductions overview: vd.ch
• AHV/AVS domestic work leaflet 2.06: ahv-iv.ch/p/2.06.e