Consumer protection demands VAT repayment
The consumer protection group is seeking a court ruling to enforce the refund of Billag VAT paid since 1995. SVP National Council member and SRG critic Nathalie Rickli is taking the political route.
In April, the Federal Supreme Court ruled that the fees collected by Billag had been wrongly subject to VAT for years (Werbewoche.ch reported). The result: an immediate reduction in fees of 11.30 francs. Anyone who had already paid the bill was refunded the amount (Werbewoche.ch reported). However, it was unclear what should happen to the VAT amounts that had been unjustly collected in the past. The Federal Supreme Court left this question unanswered - Bakom answered it in August: no repayment (Werbewoche.ch reported).
As the NZZ am Sonntag writes in its current edition, the Foundation for Consumer Protection (SKS) is not content with this decision. As its director Sara Stalder explains, last week the SKS, together with the consumer organizations in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, submitted a written demand to Billag on behalf of 4,378 fee payers who had contacted them. In view of the Bakom decision, it is unlikely that Billag will respond. Stalder, on the other hand, wants to go all the way to the Federal Supreme Court to clarify the issue of retroactivity. Without a limitation period, around CHF 200 per household would be due - with a total of three million fee payers, this would mean three-digit million sums that Billag would have to pay back.
National Councillor Nathalie Rickli is also aiming for a retroactive refund of the amounts with her "Media Freedom Campaign" - however, she wants to force the repayment by political means with a motion and is limiting her demand to the last five years due to the statute of limitations. It criticizes the SRG for claiming that it has less money available due to the VAT ban and that therefore save VAT is not a business model. (hae)
Pictures: Nathalie-rickli.ch and Konsumentenschutz.ch
