Germany seeks EU tax haven crackdown

Article reports that Germany was to call at the Ecofin Council, Brussels, 4 March 2008 for the European Union to clamp down on the continent’s last tax havens, whose low taxes and bank secrecy rules it sees as an incitement to tax evasion. Peer Steinbrück, finance minister, used a meeting with his European counterparts to rally support for tougher EU rules that would force Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and ­Switzerland to co-operate fully with tax authorities in neighbouring countries.

BBC News, 4.3.08: Germany seeks tax haven clampdown http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7276845.stm

Deutsche Welle, 4.3.08: EU at Odds Over Tax Haven Crackdown http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3167735,00.html

European Commission: DG Taxation and Customs Union: Taxation: Personal Tax: Savings tax http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/personal_tax/savings_tax/index_en.htm

Council of the European Union: Press Release: PRES/08/61: ECOFIN Council, Brussels, 4 March 2008 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ecofin/99189.pdf

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