Nassim Kadem reports in today’s Australian Financial Review that recently appointed Commissioner Chris Jordan has mooted a new amnesty for disclosure of hidden offshore assets and income. A Tax Office official has confirmed the proposal and apparently, Treasurer Joe Hockey has indicated support for the idea.

The amnesty would cap the retrospective tax and penalty period to four years, making it relatively attractive for Australian taxpayers wanting to come clean and avoid later criminal prosecution and unlimited back taxes. It would be particularly attractive to second and third generation members of wealthy families who have “inherited” the problem of secret offshore caches. Read More

Swiss Banks agreeing to US Plan for their depositors.US Persons Who Previously Held Secret Swiss Accounts Are Running a Serious Risk Unless They Make a Voluntary Disclosure ASAP!

On August 29, 2013 we posted Swiss Banks Agree to Plan to End Past US Tax Evasion Issues! where we discussed that the Swiss banks were ready to pay hefty fines for sheltering United States tax fugitives under the terms of a new deal given the green light by the Swiss government. t reflects the long-standing desire of the US to end the decades-long practice of Swiss banks, supported by their government, of providing safe haven for US tax evaders through a wall of secrecy and a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Now the details of this agreement are coming to light. The US-Swiss agreement takes the form of a plea agreement as signified by its name, “Program for Non-Prosecution Agreements or Non-Target Letters for Swiss Banks.” It was signed for the United States by the US Department of Justice, not by the US Treasury Department, implying that US scrutiny of Swiss banks has progressed from tax matters to prosecution concerns. Read More