GeTax · Chapter 3/11
Entering your salary in GeTax: salary certificate, bonus, unemployment and pensions
Key points
- In GeTax you start from the gross salary (box 1 of the certificate, code 11.10), not the net salary as in some other cantons.
- Social contributions go on the same screen: AHV/AI/APG/unemployment (box 9, code 31.10), 2nd pillar (box 10.1, code 31.12) and pension buy-ins (box 10.2, code 31.30).
- If your family allowances are included in the gross salary, take them out of box 1 and declare them in the child's sheet.
- Occasional side income (code 16.20) gives a flat deduction of 20% of its net income, minimum CHF 810, maximum CHF 2,429 in 2026.
Selecting your income types
Tick for each taxpayer what applies: salary, benefits replacing salary (unemployment, sickness, accident, maternity), unpaid work interruptions, self-employment, AHV/AI pensions, other pensions and life annuities. The matching screens then appear in the tree.
Copying the salary certificate
First enter the employer, the workplace address, the taxing municipality (« Commune d'imposition ») and your activity rate. If you live in the canton of Geneva and work in another canton, choose your municipality of residence. Then copy the boxes of your salary certificate.
| Salary certificate | GeTax field | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Box 1: salary | « Salaire » | 11.10 |
| Box 2: fringe benefits | « Prestations salariales accessoires » | 11.10 |
| Box 3: bonus | « Prestations non périodiques » (non-recurring) | 11.15 |
| Box 4: lump-sum payments | « Prestations en capital » | 11.70 |
| Box 5: shares, options | « Droits de participations selon annexe » | 11.40 |
| Box 6: board fees | « Tantièmes et jetons de présence » | 11.30 |
| Box 13.2: expense allowances | Representation, car, other | 11.90 to 11.92 |
| Box 9: AHV, AI, APG, unemployment | « Cotisations AVS/AI, APG, Chômage, AANP » | 31.10 |
| Box 10.1: ordinary 2nd pillar | « Prévoyance 2ème pilier » | 31.12 |
| Box 10.2: pension fund buy-ins | « Rachat(s) de la prévoyance professionnelle » | 31.30 |
Boxes F and G of the certificate matter too: F means free transport between home and work (no commuting deduction), G an employer contribution to meals (the meal deduction is halved). Tick them in GeTax exactly as on the certificate.
Several employers and side jobs
A second salary certificate goes under « Autres activités dépendantes » (other employment), button « Insérer », at the bottom of the same screen; a job held regularly (for example at 40%) follows the ordinary flat-rate rules. Occasional side income (private lessons, commissions, fees for sitting on a public body) is declared under code 16.20, in « Autres revenus et fortune ». For cantonal tax it gives a flat 20% of net income, minimum CHF 810 and maximum CHF 2,429 in 2026 (art. 29A LIPP and 7 RCEPF), under codes 59.70 (cantonal) and 59.75 (federal). Higher actual costs remain possible with receipts.
Unemployment, sickness, accident, maternity
Benefits paid directly by the unemployment fund or the insurer (annual statement) go here (code 11.50 for taxpayer A). Those paid through your employer are already in the certificate's salary: do not add them. For unpaid work interruptions, enter the start and end dates in « Sélection des revenus ».
Pensions and other benefits
| Income | GeTax screen | Code |
|---|---|---|
| AHV or AI pensions | « Rentes AVS/AI » | 17.10 |
| Occupational pension (BVG/LPP) | « Rentes, pensions et autres prestations » | 13.20 |
| Maintenance received | « Rentes, pensions et autres prestations » | 13.10 |
| Other pensions, life annuities | « Rentes viagères » | 13.40, 13.50 |
| Side income (not salary) | « Autres revenus et fortune » | 16.20 |
| Health insurance subsidies | « Autres revenus et fortune » | 16.30 |
Lump-sum withdrawals from the 2nd pillar and pillar 3a (at retirement, to buy a home) are not added to income: they are taxed separately. GeTax asks for them under « Renseignements », « Renseignements complémentaires » (additional information).
Frequently asked questions
Do I enter gross or net salary in GeTax?
Gross salary: box 1 of the certificate under code 11.10, then the social contributions (boxes 9 and 10) on the same screen. GeTax computes net income itself.
Where do I declare a bonus in GeTax?
Under « Prestations non périodiques (bonus, gratifications, etc.) », which matches box 3 of the salary certificate and code 11.15.
My family allowances are included in my salary. What should I do?
Take them out of box 1 before copying it into GeTax and enter them in each child's sheet (« Données personnelles », « Enfant(s) à charge »), answering yes to the question on whether they are included in the salary.
I live in the canton of Geneva and work in the canton of Vaud. Which taxing municipality?
Your Geneva municipality of residence: a Geneva resident's salary is taxed in their municipality of residence, even if the employer is in another canton.
Rather hand it over?
NeoFidu prepares and files your Geneva tax return for you, including source tax and TOU cases, with a check for missed deductions. Service in English available.
This guide is for information only and is not personalised advice. Amounts come from official publications of the Geneva cantonal tax administration (AFC) and the Swiss Federal Tax Administration. GeTax offers an English interface, but the return itself is French: we quote the French labels, followed by a translation, so you can find them on screen. Screenshots show GeTax 2025 with fictitious data. If in doubt, the official AFC instructions prevail.