An ex-Swiss banking exec has given Wikileaks data on what he says are over 2,000 high-level people and companies involved in tax evasion and other potential crimes. At a news conference where he passed the discs to Julian Assange in front of reporters, the man refused to name names, but said that roughly 40 politicians and “pillars of society” were on there. Assange said that Wikileaks would vet the information and publish it, along with names, in just two weeks. [More]
tax evaders
IRS Scares 14,700 Americans Into Disclosing Secret Offshore Bank Accounts
By 11.17.09
The IRS announced today that 14,700 Americans disclosed their secret off-shore accounts — ensuring “billions of dollars in new tax collections” says Bloomberg.
Senator Recommends That UBS Be Shut Down For Helping Thousands Of U.S. Citizens Cheat On Their Taxes
By 7.17.08
Another update to the disgruntled computer technician story: Sen. Carl Levin told ABC News that Swiss banking giant UBS’s banking license should be revoked until the bank “cleans up its act.” The bank is accused of arranging “undeclared” accounts for an estimated 19,000 US citizens, effectively “hiding” $18 billion from the IRS.
Did UBS Help Rich Americans Hide Billions Of Dollars In Liechtenstein?
By 7.16.08
Following up on yesterday’s story about a disgruntled computer technician who turned over the bank records from the LGT Bank of Liechtenstein, ABC News says that UBS Bank may have helped set up the secret accounts and been responsible for hiding as much as $20 billion dollars of U.S. money.
Disgruntled Computer Technician Outs Super-Rich Tax Cheaters To The IRS
By 7.15.08
U.S. law allows whistleblowers to collect 30 percent of any taxes recovered as a result of their information, and it seems that one disgruntled computer technician is taking advantage of the program. Meet Heinrich Kieber, a nefarious criminal-type turned “good guy” who will be testifying in front of the “Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Thursday via a video statement from a secret location,” according to ABC News. Mr. Keiber is from Liechtenstein, a tiny country with very secretive banking laws. He stole banking information that showed how the world’s super-rich were skirting their countries tax laws. Keiber then sold the information to tax authorities in 12 countries, including the U.S, hence the whole “secret location” thing.
