3-year lock-up (Art. 79b BVG). Buy-ins cannot be withdrawn as a lump sum for 3 full calendar years. Buying in within 3 years of planned withdrawal results in the tax deduction being clawed back retroactively. Treat the break-even horizon above as a maximum — your hard floor is retirement minus 3 years.
Balance spousal PK capital equally. Exit tax is calculated per-person, per-year. The 4-tranche split (2 years × 2 spouses) only works optimally if both Pensionskassen hold roughly equal capital — an 80/20 imbalance pushes one spouse into a higher rate and costs more than a clean 50/50 split of the same total.
Stagger withdrawals across calendar years. Each calendar year is a separate tax assessment. If both spouses retire simultaneously, schedule withdrawals in January (you, Year 1) and December (spouse, Year 1), then the reverse in Year 2 — or simply use different calendar years. Never withdraw both in the same year if you can avoid it.
Max out Pillar 3a first. CHF 7,258/year (2025) is always fully deductible, flexible, and can be invested at market rates. Buy-ins into Pillar 2 make sense only once 3a is maxed — the 3a is superior in flexibility and exit terms (5 separate accounts, staggered withdrawal).
Check the fund's Deckungsgrad. Only buy into a Pensionskasse with a coverage ratio ≥ 100%. An underfunded fund can cut guaranteed benefits, reduce conversion rates, or force you into annuity terms you didn't choose — negating the point of buying in.
Time buy-ins to your highest-income years. Marginal rate is the key driver of the tax saving. If your income varies (bonus year, last full working year), concentrate large buy-ins there. A CHF 50k buy-in at a 40% rate beats two CHF 25k buy-ins at 35%.
Repay any mortgage Vorbezug first. If you withdrew Pillar 2 capital early for owner-occupied property, that amount must be fully repaid before any subsequent buy-in generates a tax deduction. Buying in before repaying is wasted — the Pensionskasse will not accept the deduction.