AHV and deductions from your wage

What is the AHV number? Why is the net wage smaller than the gross wage? Here is the explanation.

Your pay slip shows a gross wage. Deductions are taken from it. What remains is your net wage.

The AHV number

The AHV is the old-age pension (Alters- und Hinterlassenenversicherung). Every person has an AHV number with 13 digits. It stays the same your whole life.

The number is on your health insurance card or the AHV card (AHV-Ausweis). You need it for employers, RAV and offices.

This is deducted from your wage

  • AHV, IV (disability insurance, Invalidenversicherung) and EO (income compensation, Erwerbsersatz): together 10.6 %. You pay 5.3 %, your employer also pays 5.3 %.
  • ALV (unemployment insurance, Arbeitslosenversicherung): another part. Here too the employer pays a share.
  • Pension fund (occupational pension, Pensionskasse, BVG): from a certain wage and age.
  • Withholding tax (Quellensteuer), if you do not have permit C.

Rates as of: 1 January 2026.

Why is this good?

The deductions are insurances. They pay in old age, disability and unemployment. Your employer registers you with the compensation office (Ausgleichskasse).

What you can do now

  1. Find your AHV number on your health insurance card. Write it down.
  2. Check the deductions on your pay slip.
  3. Questions? The WAS Ausgleichskasse Luzern or the trade union help.
  4. Unsure? Ask FABIA or the Amt für Migration. This app is not legal advice.

Informationsstelle AHV/IV, Merkblatt 2.01 Lohnbeiträge (Stand 1. Januar 2026) (2026-09-21)

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