Dog tax by commune
For one dog you pay between CHF 40 (Buckten) and CHF 300 (Boulens) a year in the 664 communes covered. In Lucerne and Aargau every commune charges the same CHF 120; in Vaud the commune’s own tax is added to the cantonal tax of CHF 100.
All communes covered
Rules by canton
- Aargau (196): CHF 120 in every commune, CHF 20 of it to the canton.
- Basel-Landschaft (86): Each commune sets the tax; the statistical office publishes all of them.
- Basel-Stadt (3): Basel CHF 160, Riehen CHF 150, Bettingen CHF 120; each further dog in the household costs double.
- Lucerne (79): CHF 120 in every commune (dog act, § 6); farm dogs CHF 40.
- Vaud (300): Cantonal tax CHF 100 plus the commune’s tax set in its tax decree.
Which communes are missing and why
In the other cantons each commune sets its own dog tax and the canton publishes no list. Geneva levies a cantonal tax with communal surcharges; abolishing it is under discussion. For your commune, its regulations always apply.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the dog tax?
In the communes covered between CHF 40 and CHF 300 a year for the first dog.
Who has to pay dog tax?
Anyone keeping a dog older than three months; usually the place of residence on the reference date counts. Exceptions exist, for example for guide dogs for the blind.
Why is my commune missing?
Only Vaud and Basel-Landschaft publish the amounts of all their communes, and Lucerne, Aargau and Basel-Stadt have uniform rates. The other cantons have no official list.
Sources: Canton of Vaud (communal tax decrees, cantonal dog tax), Canton of Lucerne (dog act), Canton of Aargau, Canton of Basel-Stadt (Veterinary Office), Canton of Basel-Landschaft (Statistical Office). vd.ch · lu.ch · ag.ch · bs.ch · statistik.bl.ch · JSON