| R. CHAMAT | OAKS GROUP
It is rare for a tax mechanism to evolve exactly as anticipated. Not in its broad principles, but in its precise figures, its timeline, and its underlying intent. CASATAX 2026 is one of those cases. The announced indexation confirms what we had already identified: the mechanism is continuing on its trajectory, without disruption, but with adjustments that are far from neutral for buyers and for market participants.
As of March 1, 2026, the new parameters are officially set, with a price cap now fixed at CHF 1,394,928.–. These figures deserve more than a quick glance or a simple comparison table. Because behind these amounts lies a logic, a series of trade-offs, and very concrete consequences for the execution of real estate projects in Geneva.
CASATAX has long ceased to be an experimental scheme. It is now firmly established as a structural tool of homeownership policy, with a well-known mechanism: a reduction in registration duties for the purchase of a property intended to serve as a primary residence, subject to a purchase price condition.
Each year, indexation adjusts the thresholds and amounts to reflect overall price developments. On paper, this looks like a simple technical update. In practice, it is anything but.
On the ground, we see that these adjustments play a cushioning role. Without them, a growing share of “standard” properties would mechanically fall outside the scope of the scheme, not because they have become luxury assets, but because the market is moving faster than the tax thresholds.
The 2026 indexation clearly follows a logic of preservation, not expansion. CASATAX is not becoming more generous. It is simply avoiding becoming obsolete.
The question buyers ask is never theoretical. It is simple, direct, sometimes brutal:
Does this property still meet the CASATAX criteria, or not?
Already in 2025, many files were sitting at the upper limit. A few thousand francs were enough to tip a project one way or the other. This grey zone has not disappeared in 2026. It has shifted.
The new purchase price cap rises to CHF 1,394,928.–, compared with CHF 1,374,396.– the previous year. The increase is real, but it does not create new breathing room. It merely tracks the structural rise in values observed on the Geneva market.
In concrete terms, this means that properties which would have been excluded in the absence of indexation remain eligible today. Conversely, it does not turn out-of-market assets into tax-efficient opportunities.
This point is essential: CASATAX continues to target a specific type of housing and household. It does not correct market tension. It mitigates some of its marginal effects.
As of 1 March 2026, the applicable parameters are as follows:
These figures may seem technical. They are not when placed in a global budget. The reduction in registration duties represents an immediate saving, available at the time of the deed. It directly influences financing capacity, the amount of equity required and, in some cases, the very feasibility of the project.
In real-life project execution, CASATAX is never just a bonus. It structures negotiation, timing and sometimes even the choice of the property itself.
With a cap set at CHF 1,394,928.–, every franc counts. A price listed at CHF 1,400,000.–, even if slightly negotiable, immediately falls outside the scheme. Conversely, a well-thought-out contractual adjustment can secure eligibility.
This choice is not neutral. It involves the seller, the buyer, the notary and, indirectly, the financing institution. Any approximation or contractual imprecision can result in a direct loss of the tax advantage.
The entry into force on 1 March 2026 creates a clear temporal boundary. Deeds executed before that date still fall under the 2025 parameters. Those concluded afterwards must comply with the new thresholds.
In practice, this requires fine coordination. Delaying or accelerating a signature can have a direct impact on the amount of duties payable. This type of decision is rarely taken lightly, especially when it concerns a primary residence project.
The 50% reduction in fees related to the mortgage certificate is often pushed into the background. That is a mistake. For certain amounts, the savings generated are far from marginal.
In practice, this translates into lower ancillary costs, easing the initial burden and improving the overall budget’s clarity. In a context of tighter banking constraints and interest rates, every optimisation matters.
It would be tempting to present this indexation as a significant improvement. That would be inaccurate.
CASATAX 2026 does not:
It continues to fulfil its original role: reducing part of the tax costs for households that meet specific criteria. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Ignoring this reality leads to disappointment. We regularly encounter buyers who overestimate the impact of the scheme, or who integrate it too late in their decision-making process.
In the medium term, this indexation confirms one thing: CASATAX is now a stable element of Geneva’s tax landscape. It evolves through adjustments, not through overhaul.
This stability has a direct consequence. Market players factor it into their calculations. Prices are positioned with the thresholds in mind. Developers, sellers and intermediaries know exactly where the line is drawn.
In the long term, this mechanism creates a paradoxical effect. The scheme protects certain buyers, but it also rigidifies certain market segments around very precise psychological thresholds.
This is neither a flaw nor a quality. It is a structural reality that must be dealt with.
Buyer responsibility: a clear-eyed reading is essential
Buying under CASATAX is not an opportunity to seize at all costs. It is a framework to be mastered. Every decision, property choice, negotiation, timing, financing structure, must be made with a precise understanding of the rules.
This choice has long-term implications. It affects borrowing capacity, future liquidity of the property and, at times, broader wealth-management flexibility.
In practice, those who truly benefit from the scheme are rarely those who rely on it blindly. They are those who integrate it as one parameter among others, within a global reading of the project.
CASATAX 2026 does not change the game. It confirms a trajectory. The figures are now known, validated and applicable. They offer visibility, but no shortcut.
For the buyers concerned, the challenge is not to know whether CASATAX still exists. It is to understand precisely what it allows, what it does not allow, and how to integrate it intelligently into a decision that goes far beyond tax considerations alone.
In a market as constrained as Geneva’s, clear-sightedness remains the strongest lever. CASATAX is part of it. It is never the core.
