Latest development archive
- 19 July - Swiss lawyer indicted for conspiring to defraud the IRS with client of HSBC
- 19 July - Italian Government provides details on sources of repatriated funds
- 17 February - Ireland inquires about Germany's stolen bank data
- 17 February - Italian tax amnesty draws 60 billion Euros from Switzerland
- 17 November - US voluntary disclosure nets almost 15,000 taxpayers, billions of dollars
- 17 November - Swiss explain criteria for handing over taxpayer data to IRS
- 13 November - Singapore now on OECD 'white list'
- 11 November - Liechtenstein off OECD 'grey list'
- 8 November - UK and Australian authorities request information from UBS
- 29 October - Foot publishes review of British Offshore Financial Centres
- 28 October - Italian police raid branches of Swiss banks
- 27 October - IRS launches new group scrutinizing high net worth individuals
- 27 October - Senators unveil far-reaching legislation targeting offshore financial centers
- 14 October - IRS Commissioner, Doug Shulman, says the crackdown on overseas tax evasion will expand, as 7,500 disclose
- 01 October - All French banks to close branches in 'tax havens'
- 26 September -UBS client pleads guilty; used Liechtenstein foundation to hide assets
- 24 September - Swiss-US tax treaty signed; Switzerland to be elevated to white list
- 22 September - UBS handing over client names, including some with small accounts
- 17 September - Swiss Bankers Association proposes withholding tax on foreign clients
- 16 September - Italy launches tax amnesty
- 10 September - G 20 to impose sanctions on tax havens from March 2010
- 1 September - Swiss government to hand over names of first 500 US taxpayers in next 90 days
- 1 September - French government claims to have names of 3,000 taxpayers with Swiss accounts
- 1 September - OECD forum on information exchange meets to assess developments
- 1 September - UK New Disclosure Opportunity begins today
- 27 August - IRS may target Americans at other Swiss banks
- 27 August - Austrian government reaches initial agreement to relax bank secrecy rules
- 17 August - Withers summarise Liechtenstein disclosure agreement with the UK
- 17 August - More Americans giving up US passport to avoid tax
- 17 August - Swiss newspapers report that US will get data on 5,000 UBS account holders
- 17 August - IRS extends deadline for foreign bank account reporting
- 12 August - UBS settles tax dispute with US, charges to be dropped
- 11 August - UK signs tax amnesty with Liechtenstein. Withers partner Jay Krause quoted
- 2 August - Settlement reached in UBS case; details to be announced.
- 29 July - Guilty plea leads US to look beyond UBS.
- 28 July - HMRC officially announce details of NDO.
- 27 July - Swiss banks freeze out US clients.
- 23 July - Swiss initial treaty with Finland; move closer to 'white list'.
- 22 July - US to demand fewer names from UBS.
- 21 July - IRS relies on FBAR penalties to encourage voluntary disclosure.
- 19 July - Swiss call for global tax watchdog.
- 17 July - Cayman nearing 'white list' requirement of 12 TIEAs.
- 16 July - Belgium removed from greylist.
- 15 July - Italy announces tax amnesty.
- 14 July - Withers partner Jay Krause discusses the UBS-IRS case (video).
- 13 July - UBS and US request postponement of hearing.
- 10 July - Bahrain reach OECD whitelist.
- 8 July - Swiss Economics Minister wants US - UBS settlement before Monday's court hearing.
- 8 July - Switzerland vows to prevent UBS from passing client data to US.
- 8 July - Luxembourg upgraded to OECD 'white list'.
- 7 July - France, UK seek March tax compliance deadline.
- 4 July - More Swiss banks refuse accounts with US taxpayers.
- 3 July - Bermuda signs TIEA with Germany.
- 2 July - New Gibraltar 10% corporate tax to be introduced this month.
- 1 July - Credit Suisse to pass client names to French authorities.
- 1 July - US to continue with UBS case.
- 1 July - Cayman to sign further tax information exchange agreements.
- 30 June -US companies seek new tax havens.
- 29 June - Swiss banks shun Americans.
- 24 June - IRS issues updated voluntary disclosure FAQs.
- 24 June - Isle of Man agrees to automatic exchange of tax information within EU.
- 22 June - US may drop UBS case.
- 22 June - OECD to scrutinize greylisted countries.
- 19 June - The US and Switzerland agree tax information exchange provisions.
- 18 June - UK argues against blacklisting of Hong Kong.
- 16 June - Britain backs country-by-country reporting.
- 13 June - Lloyds drops US customers.
- 11 June -Caught Up in the Foreign Bank Account Reporting Pandemic?
- 10 June - Jersey and Australia sign tax agreement.
- 10 June - IFCs lobby to keep their names out of international spotlight.
- 10 June - Liechtenstein submits law to co-operate with US in tax matters.
- 10 June - The future of Swiss banking. Withers partners Jay Krause and Francis Rojas quoted.
- 8 June - Bermuda signs 12th TIEA to reach OECD whitelist.
- 4 June - Luxembourg agrees tax information exchange provisions with France, Netherlands, Denmark.
- 4 June - US Foreign Bank Account Reporting Requirements.
- 2 June - HMRC sets penalty for 2009 voluntary disclosure scheme.
- 2 June - IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman sets out global tax enforcement plans.
- 29 May - OECD Forum on Tax Administration releases two reports on enhanced compliance.
- 29 May - Delaware comes under increasing scrutiny.
- 29 May - Singapore to align tax code with international standard.
- 28 May - New US-Lux treaty aids Swiss bank secrecy. Withers associate Milan Patel quoted.
- 28 May - Withers Stop Press considers HMRC victory in tax tribunal.
- 27 May - Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein officially off OECD blacklist.
- 26 May - Switzerland sign treaty with Denmark, subject to national referendum.
- 26 May - Netherlands Antilles and Jamaica sign TIEA.
- 22 May - Luxembourg and Liechtenstein enter talks on OECD-compliant tax treaty.
- 22 May - French banks urge EU-wide reform on transparency and regulation.
- 21 May - HMRC seek order against all UK banks.
- 20 May - Luxembourg agrees to exchange tax information with US.
- 19 May - BVI signs eight new TIEAs.
- 19 May - Increase in voluntary disclosure business. Withers associate Milan Patel quoted.
- 19 May - South Korea ignores OECD list.
- 18 May - OECD stresses need for international co-operation.
- 18 May - Tax haven crackdown to hit IFCs. Withers partner Jay Krause quoted.
- 15 May - HMRC authorised to investigate offshore accounts.
- 15 May - Cayman's attempts at whitelisting fail.
- 13 May - Labuan adopts tighter tax rules.
- 12 May - Bahrain signs tax agreements with Luxembourg and France.
- 9 May - Isle of Man considers automatic exchange of information.
- 7 May - Cayman Islands write letter to President Obama in response to his budget proposal.
- 7 May - OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria writes to Swiss President Merz.
- 6 May - France denies it will offer a tax amnesty.
- 6 May - Withers publishes Stop Press: Fields of Dreams commenting on President Obama’s budget proposal.
- 5 May - Withers Hong Kong based partner, Kurt Rademacher, comments on the implications of the US voluntary disclosure scheme for Asian-based US taxpayers.
- 5 May - Italy considers drawing up its own anti-tax haven legislation.
- 5 May - Senator Baucus is finalising legislation to increase the IRS’s powers to investigate transactions involving offshore entities.
- 4 May - President Obama outlines measures to crackdown on international tax evasion in his budget announcement.
- 30 April - The US and Luxembourg reach agreement on a new protocol to their income tax treaty to provide for exchange of information on request.
- 28 April - The US and Switzerland commence negotiations on their new information exchange agreement. Switzerland ask the US to drop their case against UBS in exchange for entering into this agreement.
- 27 April - The IRS will expand its investigation of offshore private banking to banks other than UBS.
- 27 April - Germany agrees draft domestic legislation targeting tax evaders.
- 22 April - UK budget announced.
- 21 April - Michael Foot publishes report as part of his ongoing review of offshore financial centres.
- 17 April - Bermuda signs eight new TIEAs – with the seven Nordic countries and New Zealand.
- 16 April - Switzerland react to the OECD list by withholding payment.
- 14 April - Credit Suisse tells clients to agree to disclosure of tax information to the IRS or close accounts.
- 9 April - Gordon Brown sends separate letters to the Crown Dependencies (and the Isle of Man) and the Overseas Territories.
- 7 April - All four countries on the ‘blacklist’, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Uruguay and the Philippines, agree to commit to the OECD standard and are removed from the blacklist.
- 6 April - Cayman Finance Secretary sends letter to the OECD claiming the list they produced is flawed.
- 3 April - Luxembourg President, Jean-Claude Juncker, attacks the OECD list.
- 2 April - The G20 summit takes place in London. The OECD publishes the ‘white-‘, ‘grey-‘ and ‘blacklist’. The G20 take note.
- April - The day the havens opened up - Tax Planning International article by Withers partner Jay Krause and associate Chris McLemore.
- March - Withers Hong Kong based partner, Kurt Rademacher, discusses the effects of the US crackdown on Swiss banking secrecy.
- 23 February -Our Geneva-based associate, Milan Patel, comments on the latest developments in the UBS case.
