Lugano Residents Can Now Pay Taxes and Bills with Bitcoin and Tether
In a big move, the city of Lugano in Switzerland is now allowing people and businesses to pay for city services and taxes using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Tether. Lugano officials announced on December 5th, stating that now everyone can use Bitcoin and Tether to pay for any city service.
This step was taken in collaboration with Bitcoin Suisse, a well-known Swiss platform for cryptocurrencies. Thanks to this partnership, the payment process has become automated and more efficient, changing how people usually handle payments.
Lugano’s decision to include cryptocurrencies in its payment system is part of its Plan B project. This initiative, done with Tether, aims to bring Bitcoin technology into the city’s financial system, making financial transactions different and better.
Bitcoin Suisse is helping Lugano achieve this goal by offering the needed technical support. Now, people in Lugano can pay for local bills using cryptocurrencies through their mobile wallets, making the process easier. They can scan the invoice code using the Swiss QR-bill system and make the payment with Bitcoin or Tether.
The Chief Product Officer at Bitcoin Suisse, Armin Schmid said and we quote:
“It is great to see that more and more Swiss municipalities are offering payments in cryptocurrencies as an option available to both citizens and companies, complementing traditional payment methods such as post-office counters and e-banking platforms.”
This move by Lugano shows their commitment to trying new things and using digital currencies. It makes life more convenient for people and businesses in Lugano, and it puts the city ahead of Switzerland when it comes to using cryptocurrencies for public services.
It should also be known that Lugano has implemented blockchain-based solutions in the past, including integrating the Polygon chain on the MyLugano app, LVGA Points payment token, Lugano digital franc, and the 3Achain blockchain infrastructure. Other Swiss municipalities like Zug started accepting Bitcoin and Ether for tax payments from local individuals and companies in 2021, while Zermatt introduced the option to pay taxes with Bitcoin in partnership with Bitcoin Suisse in January 2020.