Brussels, 06/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - Belgium is interested in negotiating a tax deal with Switzerland, along the lines of those already signed by Switzerland with Germany, the United Kingdom and Austria and under negotiation with Greece (see EUROPE 10680), explained the Belgian foreign minister, Didier Reynders, on Belgian television (RTBF) on Thursday 6 September, saying that Belgium may well be able to recuperate up to €10 billion of the €30 billion held in anonymous Swiss bank accounts by Belgian residents. As for the above-mentioned countries, Switzerland has offered to levy a one-off tax of 34% on the €30 billion, backdated, in return for the bank accounts remaining anonymous. It is also offering to levy a 25% savings tax in the future on investments in Switzerland by Belgian residents and to provide the Belgian tax authorities with the name of the account-holder if the latter refuses to pay the tax.
Reynders had just come back from the three-day visit to Switzerland, where he held talks with the Swiss foreign minister, Didier Burkhalter, and the Swiss president, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. He pointed out that he had himself brought Swiss bank accounts in line with Belgian rules and wanted a debate in the Belgian parliament about the proposed Swiss tax deal. (FG/transl.fl)