How is the value of a previous inheritance calculated in the subsequent inheritance?

The calculation of value in accordance with Art. 630 ZGB

In Swiss inheritance law, the value of an advance payment is calculated according to the state at the time of receipt, but according to the value at the time of inheritance (date of death). This means that if you receive a property, it is valued at the market value on the day the parents die — including all increases in market value in recent decades. In the case of cash, on the other hand, the nominal value principle applies: 100,000 CHF remains 100,000 CHF, regardless of inflation or loss of purchasing power.

The key date principle: The dynamics of real estate valuation

The Swiss Civil Code (ZGB) follows a consistent logic when valuing tangible assets: In the end, all heirs should be economically positioned as if the inheritance had taken place on the day the parents died.

Why real estate plays a special role

If parents gave their children a building plot or house 20 years ago, the value of the gift at that time will not be used for the division of the inheritance in 2026.

• The increase in value: A plot of land was worth perhaps 500,000 CHF when purchased in advance. According to market analysis, when the parents die in 2026, it is worth 1,500,000 CHF.
• The compensation obligation: The recipient must have the current value of 1,500,000 CHF offset. This means that he owes the co-heirs (siblings) the corresponding share of this fictitious increase in value — which often leads to liquidity problems.

Cash vs. tangible assets: The structural inequality

In 2026, the discrepancy between donations of money and gifts in kind will be particularly clear. While real estate prices have grown historically, cash is subject to the nominal value principle.

Cash: The “safe” nominal value

If you have received 200,000 CHF as equity for the purchase of an apartment, this exact amount is added to the inheritance.

• No inflation adjustment: It doesn't matter legally whether the purchasing power of this sum has fallen over 20 years. The siblings receive no compensation for inflation.
• vantage: When real estate prices rise, the recipient of cash is usually significantly better off than the recipient of a property, as his “advance” stagnates in terms of value.

Condition vs. value: Protect investments properly

An important subtlety in the law (Art. 630 ZGB) protects the recipient from crediting their own benefits. The property is valued in its condition at the time of gift, but at the price level on the day of death.

Protecting your own investments

If you have renovated the received property with your own funds — for example through an energy-efficient renovation or a modern extension — you do not have to share this added value with your siblings.

• Method of calculation: An appraiser must determine what the house would be worth today if it were still in its old condition (without your renovations).
• Obligation to document: This shows the relevance of complete documentation. Anyone who cannot show any invoices for their value-adding investments risks that the entire increase in value will be added to the hereditary mass.

The calculation in a practical example

Let's take two siblings (A and B). Child A received a plot of land 15 years ago (value at that time: 400,000 CHF). Child B received 400,000 CHF in cash at the same time.

At the time of inheritance in 2026:

Child A's property is now worth 1,200,000 CHF.

Child B's cash is offset at 400,000 CHF.

| Child | Advance payment (gift) | Credit in inheritance | Difference |

|: -: |: -: |: -: |: -: |

| Child A (country) | 400,000 CHF | 1,200,000 CHF |\ + 800,000 CHF |

| Child B (Cash) | 400,000 CHF | 400,000 CHF | 0 CHF |

Child A must be credited three times higher than child B, although both received the same nominally at the starting point.

Contractual design options to fix value

In order to avoid such severe social and financial differences, Swiss law offers tools for proactive management.

The inheritance contract as a solution

Parents and children can agree together in an inheritance contract that a property should be offset at a fixed value (e.g. the value on the date of gift).

• Consent of the co-heirs: Such a contract is only effective if all heirs protected by compulsory shares (e.g. all siblings) agree and co-sign it.
• Absence of adjustment: It can also be agreed that the increase in value is explicitly not to be offset, provided that this does not violate the compulsory shares of the other heirs.

Conclusion: Precision protects against inheritance disputes

How is the value calculated? For money, the nominal amount applies; for real estate, the market value is on the day of death. This discrepancy is the most common cause of lengthy inheritance disputes in Switzerland. The “cut-off date principle” ensures that recipients of tangible assets only benefit from increases in value if this has been properly regulated by contract.

In summary, anyone who receives a property as an advance inheritance should seek thorough documentation of the original status and a clear contractual arrangement with all heirs. A certified appraisal report at the time of gift is the best insurance against excessive compensation claims in the future. Anyone who plans their financing in a strategic and legally secure manner creates the basis for a permanently harmonious family inheritance.

glossary

• adjustment: The legal process in which advances are mathematically returned to the estate in order to ensure equal treatment of heirs.
• Key date principle: The determination of the date (date of death) that is decisive for the valuation of tangible assets in inheritance.
• nominal value: The amount of money originally paid, which is credited regardless of inflation or interest.
• Market value: The expected price that could be achieved for an object in normal business transactions on the day of death.