Art. 8 Entry and buying into the Pension Fund

1 Vested early leaver benefits from previous Pension Funds must be transferred to the Pension Fund and credited to the retirement account.

2 The insured member may increase their supplementary retirement savings with voluntary contributions and thus improve the insured benefits. The maximum possible contributions are calculated according to the table in Annex 4. The maximum buying-in amount is reduced by:

early withdrawals for the promotion of home ownership which no longer need to be repaid;
pillar 3a assets which exceed the threshold pursuant to Art. 60a Para. 2 of the BVV2;
vested early leaver benefits pursuant to Art. 60a Para. 3 of the BVV2 which were not paid into the Pension Fund.

In the case of persons who move to Switzerland from abroad and have never belonged to a pension scheme in Switzerland, the annual buying-in sum is reduced to 20% of the insured salary for the first five years. At the end of the five years, the insured member is entitled to purchase the full regulatory benefits.

The limitation does not apply if the insured person has their foreign-acquired pension rights transferred directly to the pension fund from a foreign pension scheme and do not claim a deduction from the direct federal, cantonal or communal taxes for this transfer.

If an insured person who receives or has received a retirement benefit from an occupational benefits institution makes a purchase into the pension fund, the maximum purchase amount is reduced by the amount of the retirement benefit already received.

When joining a new Pension Fund and transferring the departure payment to the new Pension Fund in accordance with Art. 5a Para. 4, the transferred departure payment may not be offset by re-purchases.

3 If buy-ins are made, the resultant benefits may not be withdrawn from the pension as a lump sum during the three subsequent years. If early withdrawals have been made under the scheme to promote home ownership, no voluntary purchases of additional benefits may be made until the early withdrawal has been repaid.

Re-purchases following a divorce are excluded from the limitation. The re-purchase following a divorce must be carried out before the buy-in pursuant to Para. 2.

4 Buy-ins into the Pension Fund can be carried out by 15 December of each calendar year at the latest (value date). Buy-ins received by the Pension Fund at a later date will be refunded to the insured person without interest.

5 The responsibility for ascertaining the tax deductibility of a buy-in and a repurchase rests solely with the insured member.