Bakom: "Ruling has no influence on June 14 vote".
The federal court ruling, which will result in a 2.5 percent reduction in radio and TV reception fees, will not affect the upcoming June 14 vote, according to the federal government.
The revision of the Radio and Television Act (RTVA) approved by parliament includes an additional reduction in the reception fee for households to around CHF 400. In addition, companies with an annual turnover of less than CHF 500,000 are to be exempted from the fee. The revision also provides for an amendment to the Value Added Tax Act, which will determine the levying of value added taxes on radio and television reception fees, as the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) announced on Wednesday. "If the people approve the revision, the new system will be applied from 2018 or 2019."
According to SRG, the Federal Court's ruling creates clarity and relieves many fee payers. The company will now analyze all aspects and consequences of the ruling and its implementation by Billag and the federal government, the Swiss Radio and Television Company wrote in a communiqué. The Federal Court came to the conclusion that the reception fee regulated in the current law is not a consideration for a service provided by the federal government, but a sovereignly levied tax. Thus the characteristic for a subordination under the value added tax would fall away. (SDA)
