Tag Archives: Switzerland

IRS Criminal Division Announces 2010 Investigation Targets

The IRS has announced its Criminal Investigation Annual Business Plan for FY2010. This year’s plan is part of the IRS’ larger 5 year strategic plan for 2009 - 2013. Those of us who are baby boomers remember the then Soviet Union’s “5 year plans.” Like the IRS strategic plan, those plans were big on

FBARs or Prison Bars?

by Brian Mahany
The federal amnesty deadline for declaring foreign accounts to the IRS expired October 15th. After the highly publicized legal action against Swiss bank UBS began, the IRS offered an amnesty to Americans with assets in foreign accounts.  According to federal money laundering laws and IRS regulations, businesses and individuals holding more than $10,000

Get to Us Before We Get to You

“The real things to know is that folks will stand to lose more than they will to win.” Pug Pearson on poker.
The IRS has invited all 52,000  Americans that maintain secret accounts at UBS to a game of poker. Ditto Americans with accounts in other Swiss and foreign banks such as Credit Suisse.  What happens

Let’s Make A Deal - the Swiss Dept. of Justice & Police Edition

Let’s Make A Deal - the Swiss Dept. of Justice & Police Edition by Brian Mahany (www.mahanylaw.com)
Tax attorneys, privacy advocates and the asset protection professionals have been closely watching the litigation between the United States and Swiss bank, UBS. The case started when the IRS sought the identities of U.S. taxpayers behind 52,000 secret accounts

Swiss Bribe Probe - How it Impacts on Investors with Foreign Accounts

Buried in the back of the Wall Street Journal was a tiny article about prosecutors in Switzerland opening an investigation into a government official who allegedly was bribed by a client of Swiss bank, USB AG. The bribe was in return for seeking confidential tax information.
Earlier this year I reported on the case of

“Tax Havens Pledge to Ease Secrecy Laws”

That was the headline on the cover of the Wall Street Journal on March 13, 2009.  And since that headline, virtually every country has given in to the demands of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  As cash strapped governments seek ever dwindling tax monies, the once popular “tax haven” nations are facing