Gov/en/Portal:Transparency/Fiscal-Study

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Fiscal Study for incubation: Executive Summary (study v3.6.8, 2026-07-19) · Full study PDF (English, 39 p.): Fiscal-Study_v3.6.8_EN_2026-07-19.pdf

For reference: French version (Étude Fiscale) (translation as of 2026-07-19; English version prevails).'

💡 In Simple Words: WikiDeal wants to build a fair online marketplace, and kind people give money as a gift to help build it. This page is a big homework check: it looks at the rules of Switzerland about money and taxes, to make sure the plan follows them. It explains why the money given is a gift (not a loan that must be paid back), and what happens if a helper later receives a thank-you reward. Real lawyers still need to read and confirm this study before anything is certain.

🎯 In 20 Seconds (Scientific Summary): Preliminary internal study (version 3.6.8, July 2026) of the Swiss fiscal and regulatory framework for the WikiDeal financial management system, operated under Ynternet.org Foundation (Geneva, tax-exempt). Contributions are qualified as donations to an applied R&D program of public interest (Civil Code Art. 239), with alternative qualifications (loan, security, collective investment, deposit-taking) argued to be excluded. Round 1 (CHF 1,000,000) is positioned within the FINMA Sandbox (Banking Act Art. 6(2)) and FinSA Art. 36 prospectus exemptions. Retained Rewards are treated as taxable income of the contributor (DBG Art. 23), while the donation portion follows gift-tax rules. VAT positioning relies on the non-profit turnover threshold and a brokerage commission model. The study concludes the first CHF 200,000 tranche (Stage 1A) carries risk close to zero and recommends formal legal opinions (avis de droit) in parallel.

Table of Contents (Manual)

1. 1. Recommendation
2. 2. Platform Deprivatization Mechanism
3. 3. Purpose and Scope
4. 4. Organizational Structure
5. 5. The Donation Model: Why Not a Loan?
6. 6. Swiss Tax Treatment of Contributor Rewards
7. 7. VAT Positioning
8. 8. Regulatory Positioning by Institution
9. 9. Annual Report Indicators
10. 10. Combined Scenario: Contribution + Gain + Re-Donation
11. 11. Recommendations
12. 12. Related Pages

1. Recommendation

Intention

Confirm that WikiDeal can legally start fundraising by qualifying contributions as donations-with-reward (Civil Code Art. 239) and submitting the study to licensed attorneys for formal legal opinions (avis de droit).

Result

Fundraising can start immediately. The first CHF 200,000 tranche (Stage 1A) carries risk close to zero under the FINMA Sandbox (Banking Act Art. 6(2)) and FinSA Art. 36 prospectus exemptions. Legal opinions are recommended to refine democratic transition, support percentages, gain taxation, and utility tokens before Round 2.

See pages 2-3 in the full study

2. Platform Deprivatization Mechanism

Intention

Describe a generic mechanism for platform deprivatization and user reappropriation, structured as an applied R&D program divided into two phases: incubation (Ynternet.org Foundation) and operations (WikiDeal Association).

Result

The mechanism is replicable for any marketplace (transportation, housing, volunteering, local planning). Both entities operate at cost, with full financial transparency, ensuring no contamination between research and operational activities. The model follows precedents like W3C, Wikimedia Foundation, and IETF, all operating at cost without speculation.

See pages 5-7 in the full study

3. Purpose and Scope

Intention

Define the Swiss fiscal and regulatory framework for the WikiDeal financial management system, operated under Ynternet.org Foundation (Geneva, tax-exempt).

Result

The study covers donations, rewards, VAT, and regulatory positioning for Round 1 (CHF 1,000,000). It addresses legal qualification of contributions, tax treatment of rewards, regulatory compliance (FINMA, ESA/ASF), and VAT optimization. The scope is limited to Swiss law and does not constitute tax or legal advice.

See page 4 in the full study

4. Organizational Structure

Intention

Clarify roles: Ynternet.org Foundation (tax-exempt, supervised by ESA/ASF Bern) mandates WikiDeal Association (operations) for the marketplace.

Result

The Foundation’s tax-exempt status is maintained by mandating operations at cost to a separate association. The association evolves into a decentralized network of providers (hosting, maintenance, security) selected via tenders, with initial remunerations in Rewards and Karma Tokens. This separation ensures no contamination between research and operational activities.

See pages 8-12 in the full study

5. The Donation Model: Why Not a Loan?

Intention

Establish the legal nature of contributions as donations (Civil Code Art. 239), with no repayment obligation and no guaranteed reward.

Result

Loan, security, deposit, and investment qualifications are excluded. Rewards are discretionary tokens of gratitude funded by subscription revenue (global cap CHF 50M). The donation model is structured to avoid requalification as a collective investment scheme (CISA Art. 7) or deposit-taking (Banking Act).

See pages 7-9 in the full study

6. Swiss Tax Treatment of Contributor Rewards

Intention

Determine the tax classification of WikiDeal Rewards under Swiss federal and cantonal law (DBG Art. 23).

Result

Retained Rewards are taxable as "other income" (DBG Art. 23) but not subject to withholding tax (VStG Art. 4). The donation portion follows cantonal gift-tax rules. Contributors are informed that rewards may be taxable once realized through user subscriptions. VAT does not apply to the donation portion.

See pages 14-15 in the full study

7. VAT Positioning

Intention

Determine VAT obligations for WikiDeal Association, leveraging the non-profit turnover threshold and a brokerage-commission model.

Result

VAT applies only to commissions (MWSTG Art. 24), with the non-profit threshold of CHF 150,000/year (MWSTG Art. 10(2)) minimizing exposure. The brokerage model ensures WikiDeal never possesses transaction funds, reducing AMLA obligations.

See pages 16-17 in the full study

8. Regulatory Positioning by Institution

Intention

Map compliance with FINMA, ESA/ASF, and cantonal tax authorities for Round 1 (CHF 1,000,000).

Result

No banking license, no prospectus, and no pre-approval are required for Round 1. The FINMA Sandbox (Banking Act Art. 6(2)) permits accepting public deposits up to CHF 1M without authorization. FinSA exemptions (Art. 36(1)(b) and (e)) apply (<500 investors, <CHF 8M/12 months).

See pages 18-22 in the full study

9. Annual Report Indicators

Intention

Define key performance indicators (KPIs) for annual reporting to supervisory authorities (ESA/ASF, FINMA) and contributors.

Result

Auditable indicators track the sandbox ceiling (CHF 1M), contributor count (<500), reward cap (CHF 50M), and donation flows. Transparency metrics include donation volume, reward distribution, operational costs, and compliance status. These indicators demonstrate ongoing compliance with regulatory thresholds.

See page 22 in the full study

10. Combined Scenario: Contribution + Gain + Re-Donation

Intention

Test the model end-to-end by walking one contributor through donating, receiving a reward, and re-donating it.

Result

Each step retains its legal qualification. The donation is qualified under Civil Code Art. 239, the reward is taxable income (DBG Art. 23), and the re-donation is a new donation. No requalification arises from combining these steps. The scenario confirms the model’s robustness for Round 1.

See page 23 in the full study

11. Recommendations

Intention

Define next steps: submit a series of questions based on this study to attorneys (avis de droit) covering tax, financial-market, and foundation law.

Result

Proceed with Stage 1A (CHF 200,000) immediately, as it carries minimal risk under the FINMA Sandbox and FinSA exemptions. Legal opinions are recommended to refine democratic transition, support percentages, gain taxation, and utility tokens before Round 2. The legal review can be conducted in parallel as due diligence.

See page 24 in the full study

12. Related Pages

• Rewards Explained (FAQ)
• Cashout Mechanism
• Donor contract (draft mockup)
• Full PDF: Fiscal-Study_v3.6.8_EN_2026-07-19.pdf (English, 39 p.)

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Summary generated 2026-07-20 from study v3.6.8 (full text available in the monolingual English PDF, 39 p.). Not tax or legal advice.