Swiss-German tax evasion deal slim
Source: Agencies |
August 20, 2012, Monday
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THE chances of any swift Swiss-German deal to counter tax evasion looked slim yesterday after politicians traded criticism over efforts to limit the traditional secrecy of Swiss banks.
Swiss defense minister Ueli Maurer hit back at the leader of Germany's main opposition party SPD, Sigmar Gabriel, who said last Sunday that there had been "organized crime in Swiss banks" helping Germans avoid taxation.
"It is improper for a state to attack Switzerland or the Swiss banks in such a way," Maurer, the sole representative of Switzerland's far right SVP in the coalition government, told Swiss newspaper Sonntag.
Switzerland struck a deal with Germany in April to levy taxes on German assets in Swiss accounts, but the pact could unravel.
The German government says a tax deal could net Berlin huge sums if and when it takes effect. Germans hold about 150 billion euros (US$184 billion) in Swiss accounts.
Prosecutors in Germany's biggest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, said last week they were pursuing tax evaders after obtaining new Swiss bank data from a presumed whistleblower, believed to come from within UBS. But the bank said it has not yet found any evidence of a UBS source.
Swiss defense minister Ueli Maurer hit back at the leader of Germany's main opposition party SPD, Sigmar Gabriel, who said last Sunday that there had been "organized crime in Swiss banks" helping Germans avoid taxation.
"It is improper for a state to attack Switzerland or the Swiss banks in such a way," Maurer, the sole representative of Switzerland's far right SVP in the coalition government, told Swiss newspaper Sonntag.
Switzerland struck a deal with Germany in April to levy taxes on German assets in Swiss accounts, but the pact could unravel.
The German government says a tax deal could net Berlin huge sums if and when it takes effect. Germans hold about 150 billion euros (US$184 billion) in Swiss accounts.
Prosecutors in Germany's biggest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, said last week they were pursuing tax evaders after obtaining new Swiss bank data from a presumed whistleblower, believed to come from within UBS. But the bank said it has not yet found any evidence of a UBS source.
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