Taxes · September 2026

Reclaiming foreign withholding tax: DA-1 explained

Anyone holding foreign stocks often pays tax in two countries. Part of it can be reclaimed through your tax return if you fill in the right form.

What foreign withholding tax is

When a company abroad pays a dividend, that country withholds part of it directly. That's withholding tax, the foreign counterpart to Swiss withholding tax. It's deducted before the money reaches your bank.

In Switzerland you still have to pay income tax on the dividend, on the full gross amount. Without a countermeasure you'd effectively pay tax twice. To prevent that, Switzerland has signed double taxation agreements with many countries.

What you can reclaim

1. Credit against your Swiss tax

Part of the foreign withholding tax can't be reclaimed abroad at all, or only with major effort. You can have this part credited against your Swiss income tax. This is called the lump-sum tax credit and applies to countries with which Switzerland has an agreement.

2. The US tax reclaim

For US stocks held at a Swiss bank, an additional 15 percent is withheld on top of the 15 percent withholding tax. You can reclaim this second part through the same form. On paper the claim is called R-US 164; in many cantons it's included in the DA-1 or the online tax return. The deduction must be shown on your bank statement.

3. Amounts above the treaty rate

If a country withholds more than the treaty allows, you reclaim the excess from that country's tax authorities, not in Switzerland. That's often laborious; how much it's worth depends on the country.

An example with a US stock

Of the 30 francs, 15 is the tax reclaim that comes back directly. The other 15 is credited against your income tax, lowering your tax bill. How much relief you actually get depends on your circumstances.

The DA-1 form in four steps

The DA-1 is a supplementary sheet to the securities register and so part of your tax return. In many cantons it's built into the tax software.

1. Get dividend statements or your tax statement

   Your bank or broker shows gross amount, withholding tax and net amount for each foreign dividend. This is often already in the tax statement.

2. Enter gross amounts by country

   Enter each dividend gross, split by country. If your broker only shows net, you can back out the gross amount using the withholding tax rate.

3. State the withholding tax and the tax reclaim

   The form has columns for the withholding tax claimed and, for US holdings, the US tax reclaim. You'll find the figures on your statements.

4. File it with your tax return

   Submit the DA-1 together with your tax return and attach the dividend statements or your tax statement. The amount is then credited to your tax account.

Deadline and limits

There's also a minimum threshold: if the non-reclaimable foreign taxes total no more than 100 francs, there's generally no credit. For small portfolios, the form is therefore often not worth it. For more on the deadline, see the article Deadline and forfeiture.

What about ETFs?

For many ETFs domiciled abroad, for example in Ireland, the withholding tax already arises inside the fund. You don't see it on your statement, and as an investor you generally can't reclaim it yourself. DA-1 is therefore mainly relevant for individual stocks and for funds that pass foreign income through directly. Check your tax statement or ask your broker whether foreign withholding tax is shown. More on how ETFs are taxed is on the page ETFs and taxes.

Common mistakes

Entering net instead of gross

As with withholding tax, you must declare the amount before the foreign tax was deducted.

Not filing the DA-1 at all

Without the form there's no credit. Many investors don't know it exists.

Forgetting the same form every year

The credit isn't carried forward automatically. It has to be claimed fresh in every tax return.

Countries without an agreement

The lump-sum credit only exists for countries with a double taxation agreement. Whether your country is covered is stated in your canton's guidance.

Frequently asked questions

You'll find the forms and guidance from your cantonal tax authority, for example the Canton of Zurich or the Canton of Zug. On withholding tax for Swiss dividends, read the article Reclaiming withholding tax.