Germany seeks tax haven clampdown

Ministers were meeting in Brussels amid allegations of tax dodgers hiding their money in accounts in Liechtenstein.

Mr Steinbrueck told reporters that EU tax rules on sharing details should be changed "sooner than expected".

Liechtenstein, along with Austria and Belgium, was allowed exemptions from some of the rules introduced in 2005.

Although not an EU member, Liechtenstein has signed up to its savings tax directive. It has to charge foreign account holders a with-holding tax on interest income without the need to exchange information with EU countries.

Paid informant

The scandal surrounding Liechtenstein's foreign account holders began when German intelligence services paid an informant for a list of names.

Berlin claimed that hundreds of wealthy Germans were moving their money to the tiny Alpine state and evading taxes.

For any change to take place, the EU's 27 member states will have to come to a unanimous agreement.

Austria is not keen on changing the rules because it wants to protect banking secrecy. But Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders accepts that changes are needed.

"When we review the system, Belgium will move directly to exchanging information," he said.

Mr Steinbrueck said member states had to support the European Commission's efforts to tighten the rules: "It cannot be that some European countries through their own agreements undermine the Commission negotiations."

In a newspaper interview at the weekend, Liechtenstein's Prime Minister Otmar Hasler said the tiny Alpine state was ready to work for a "reasonable compromise" on banking secrecy.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Principality of Liechtenstein
German Finance Ministry (in German)
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