Calculate your tax saving with pillar 3a
Estimate your annual tax deduction and your projected capital, canton by canton, according to the 2026 tax scales.
Your parameters
Estimate based on the 2026 direct federal tax (IFD) scale and on average cantonal marginal rates (cantonal capital). Actual communal rates, individual deductions and splitting for married couples may change the result. This tool replaces neither a tax return, nor tax advice, nor investment advice within the meaning of the LSFin.
How the tax saving of pillar 3a works
Pillar 3a is the most accessible tax deduction in Switzerland. The principle is simple: every franc paid into your 3a account is deducted from your taxable income. You therefore pay no tax on the share of income you set aside for retirement. The saving achieved equals your contribution multiplied by your marginal tax rate.
That rate combines the direct federal tax (IFD), identical throughout Switzerland, and the cantonal and communal taxes (ICC), which vary enormously from one place to another. That is why this calculator asks for your canton: the same contribution of 7'258 CHF does not produce the same saving in Geneva as in Zug.
The 2026 deduction ceilings
- Employee affiliated to a pension fund (BVG/LPP) — a ceiling of 7'258 CHF per year.
- Self-employed person without a 2nd pillar — up to 36'288 CHF per year, capped at 20 % of net income.
These amounts are fully deductible. The saving grows in proportion to the amount paid in: that is how the tax scale works, not a recommendation addressed to any particular situation.
This calculator applies the 2026 direct federal tax scale (Federal Tax Administration) and average 2026 cantonal marginal rates at the cantonal capital, calibrated on public tax statistics. Estimated accuracy: ±5 to 10 % depending on your commune and your situation. The 2026 3a ceilings (7'258 / 36'288 CHF) are those published by the Federal Social Insurance Office.
This calculation is an estimate. Understanding the mechanism is worth more.
The actual saving depends on your commune, your exact situation and the vehicles chosen. The ALG Club programme teaches you to read these parameters and to decide for yourself — presented in a first conversation, with no obligation.