In a piece of good news, the residents of Stäfa, Canton Zurich, can look forward to a cut in taxes for 2023, after the decision was made to reduce the base tax rate by 2 percent. Interestingly, according to the Tages-Anzeiger, the reason for the cut is not down to a boost in the economy or an increase in consumer spending, but because of a new arrival who is quite simply the best: Tina Turner.

Stäfa to cut local Swiss taxes in 2023

With a river deep and mountain high - and being only 25 minutes by public transport to Zurich -  the small town of Stäfa is considered an ideal place to buy or rent a house, especially for those looking to work in the city. Now, the locals of this small "Gold Coast" community on the banks of Lake Zurich can look forward to a cut in taxes, after the local council (Gemeinde) voted to cut the base tax rate by 2 percent at a recent meeting.

Authorities in the town told the Tages-Anzeiger that they could afford the policy as Stäfa had earnt around 21 million francs in property taxes this year - nearly double the amount from the year before. Paraphrasing an attendee at the meeting, the newspaper said that Stäfa is “swimming in money” beyond their wildest dreams.

As councils in Canton Zurich are able to keep 100 percent of their property tax revenue, authorities decided to use the extra funds to help ease the cost of living crisis by reducing taxes. While the town itself couldn’t say who had paid the extra taxes, the newspaper found that to reduce taxes in this town, it takes two: Tina Turner, and her husband Erwin Bach.

Tina Turner blamed for cutting taxes in town in Switzerland

Now, you may be wondering what Tina Turner’s got to do with it, but the answer is quite simple. In January 2022, she and her husband beat other prospective buyers like tennis star Roger Federer to purchase the Steinfels estate in Stäfa.

The estate on the banks of the lake is 24.500 square metres and includes 10 buildings, a swimming pool, a jetty, a pond and even a small river. While it is unknown how much Tina Turner paid for the property, a recent report by Handelszeitung estimated it to be valued at 70 million francs - which could easily explain the sudden influx in tax revenue.

Did you know Tina Turner is a Swiss citizen?

Tina Turner has already been a strong presence in Switzerland, having held a residence permit for the nearby town of Küsnacht for many years, before applying for Swiss citizenship in 2013. Most notably, the Turners gave the town a number of “golden twig” lighting wreathes, which the council now uses as their Christmas lights.

Image: Blueee77 / Shutterstock.com