【路透】Swiss ask U.S. to drop UBS tax evasion case

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Swiss ask U.S. to drop UBS tax evasion case
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090425/bs_nm/us_swiss_tax_merz

By Brian Love Brian Love – Sat Apr 25, 3:09 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Switzerland, under pressure to join a global crackdown on tax fraud, asked the United States Saturday to drop a legal case involving UBS bank in return for a new tax accord the two countries are about to negotiate.

UBS agreed recently to pay a $780 million fine and disclose the identity of about 300 of its U.S. clients to avert criminal charges but U.S. authorities are still pursuing it, seeking to access the data of another 52,000 Americans they say are hiding about $14.8 billion in assets in Swiss bank accounts.

Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz, whose country is famous for strict bank secrecy, told a news conference U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner seemed sympathetic to his call, put to Geithner at a meeting in Washington.

The two sides start talks Tuesday on a new bilateral tax treaty and Merz said he hoped the negotiations would move swiftly.

Any such accord needed to be adopted by lawmakers in both countries, though, and perhaps put to referendum in Switzerland, where it could stumble if the U.S. tax evasion case was still hanging over UBS (UBSN.VX) (UBS.N), Merz said.

"I think Mr. Geithner is conscious of the fact that these criminal procedures that are taking place in the United States could be an obstacle to the political process of the double taxation accords," Merz said.

"This is why I proposed that the criminal proceedings be withdrawn at the time of signing of such an accord."

The U.S. authorities arrested and charged an accountant in Florida on April 2 in the first of what they said could be a series of tax evasion prosecutions of American clients of UBS.

Merz said this move, which came just as Switzerland had said it was ready to negotiate a new tax accord with Washington, had been "harmful to Switzerland and UBS."

Geithner, met on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund's semi-annual meetings, said he would consider the Swiss request but could not reply immediately, Merz said.

The U.S. Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment.

GERMAN DETENTE NOT EASY

Under international pressure, Switzerland announced earlier this month that it would move toward internationally accepted standards of bank information disclosure in tax fraud cases.

Merz, who is also his country's finance minister, said that renegotiation of tax accords with the United States, Japan and Poland were already earmarked as priorities.

Similar moves could start with European countries too.

Asked about Germany, which has been particularly critical of Switzerland, Merz said it was crucial to reach a solution with Berlin but suggested it would not be simple.

"When there have been psychological and political problems, it is not our fault," he said. "We have not polemicised in any way. But the German side, namely the finance minister, has been very heavily polemical."

He said the air had to be cleared first but German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck had not come to Washington for the IMF meetings. "We will have to catch up when the opportunity comes up," he said. "I think we will now concentrate on countries with whom we could come to a quick solution."

Switzerland announced in March that it would start moving toward standards of bank information disclosure established by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, something it has steadfastly refused to do before. Like many other offshore financial centres and tax havens, it has come under intensifying pressure from governments keen to root out tax dodgers at a time when the global economic crisis is shrinking their revenues and forcing expenditure sky-high. (Additional reporting by Gernot Heller; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

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认领
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Switzerland, under pressure to join a global crackdown on tax fraud, asked the United States Saturday to drop a legal case involving UBS bank in return for a new tax accord the two countries are about to negotiate.
华盛顿（路透社）—瑞士，在全球打击逃税的压力下，请求美国放弃对瑞士银行的法律起诉，并以支付两国将商定的税金作为回报。
UBS agreed recently to pay a $780 million fine and disclose the identity of about 300 of its U.S. clients to avert criminal charges but U.S. authorities are still pursuing it, seeking to access the data of another 52,000 Americans they say are hiding about $14.8 billion in assets in Swiss bank accounts.
瑞士银行最近同意支付7.8亿美金的罚金并公开300名美国客户资料以了结美国对它的指控，但是美国政府仍然在追求此事，试图获得另外五万两千名美国客户的资料，据称他们在瑞士银行的账户中有148亿美金的资产。

Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz, whose country is famous for strict bank secrecy, told a news conference U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner seemed sympathetic to his call, put to Geithner at a meeting in Washington.
瑞士以其银行保密法而著称，总统墨茨在一场新闻发布会称，在华盛顿的会议中，美国财长蒂莫西·盖特纳似乎同情他的请求。

The two sides start talks Tuesday on a new bilateral tax treaty and Merz said he hoped the negotiations would move swiftly.
双方在周二就税金条款进行商讨，墨茨称希望谈判进展顺利。

Any such accord needed to be adopted by lawmakers in both countries, though, and perhaps put to referendum in Switzerland, where it could stumble if the U.S. tax evasion case was still hanging over UBS (UBSN.VX) (UBS.N), Merz said.
然而，任何类似的协定都须经双方的立法协商一致通过。在瑞士，很可能会进行公民投票，如果美国的税金逃避案仍然威胁到瑞士银行的话，公民投票很可能会阻碍谈判。

"I think Mr. Geithner is conscious of the fact that these criminal procedures that are taking place in the United States could be an obstacle to the political process of the double taxation accords," Merz said.
墨茨称：“我想盖特纳先生应该能意识到这样一个事实，那就是美国的刑事程序可能会成为双方达成税收协议过程中的阻碍。”

"This is why I proposed that the criminal proceedings be withdrawn at the time of signing of such an accord."
“这也正是我提议在签署这样一个协定的时候不采用刑事程序的原因。”

The U.S. authorities arrested and charged an accountant in Florida on April 2 in the first of what they said could be a series of tax evasion prosecutions of American clients of UBS.
4月2日，美国政府在佛罗里达逮捕并指控了一名会计师，并称将会对瑞士银行的美国客户进行一系列的逃税起诉。

Merz said this move, which came just as Switzerland had said it was ready to negotiate a new tax accord with Washington, had been "harmful to Switzerland and UBS."
墨茨称，在瑞士恰好说准备和华盛顿方面商讨新的税金赔偿协定的时候有这样的行动，对瑞士和美国都非常不利。

Geithner, met on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund's semi-annual meetings, said he would consider the Swiss request but could not reply immediately, Merz said.
墨茨称：盖特纳先生在国际货币基金会上说会考虑瑞士的请求，但还不能立即给予答复。

The U.S. Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment.
美国财政部对此不发表评论。

GERMAN DETENTE NOT EASY
德国的局势也很紧张

Under international pressure, Switzerland announced earlier this month that it would move toward internationally accepted standards of bank information disclosure in tax fraud cases.
在国际压力下，在这个月早期瑞士宣称，在避税案中将会向国际上接受的银行信息公开制度妥协。

Merz, who is also his country's finance minister, said that renegotiation of tax accords with the United States, Japan and Poland were already earmarked as priorities.
墨茨，同时也是瑞士的财政部长，与美国、日本和波兰就税收协定的谈判已成为首要的事情。

Similar moves could start with European countries too.
同样也会跟欧洲国家进行谈判。

Asked about Germany, which has been particularly critical of Switzerland, Merz said it was crucial to reach a solution with Berlin but suggested it would not be simple.
关于德国，墨茨称和柏林达成协议将会非常重要，但过程并不会简单。德国对瑞士已经非常不满。

"When there have been psychological and political problems, it is not our fault," he said. "We have not polemicised in any way. But the German side, namely the finance minister, has been very heavily polemical."
“当涉及到心理和政治的问题时，这并不是我们的错，”墨茨说，“我们没有做任何的辩解。但是德国方面，也就是德国的财政部长，过于强词夺理。”

He said the air had to be cleared first but German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck had not come to Washington for the IMF meetings.
墨茨说首先必须缓和这样的气氛，但是德国财长佩尔·施泰因布吕克没有出席华盛顿的国际货币基金组织的会议。

"We will have to catch up when the opportunity comes up," he said. "I think we will now concentrate on countries with whom we could come to a quick solution."
“当机会来临的时候我们就要抓住，”他说，“我想我们现在将会集中和那些能尽快达成协议的国家谈判。”

Switzerland announced in March that it would start moving toward standards of bank information disclosure established by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, something it has steadfastly refused to do before.
3月份，瑞士宣称会像经济合作及发展组织制定的银行信息公开标准妥协，而在这之前瑞士是坚决拒绝这样做的。

Like many other offshore financial centres and tax havens, it has come under intensifying pressure from governments keen to root out tax dodgers at a time when the global economic crisis is shrinking their revenues and forcing expenditure sky-high.
在金融风暴下，当财政收入日渐缩减、军费开支极高的时候，各国无法忍受大笔税收从“避税天堂”中溜走，于是吹响了围剿“避税天堂”的号角。

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