Business News
Germany can use illegally-obtained bank details to hunt tax evaders
Nov 30, 2010, 9:07 GMT
Karlsruhe - Tax authorities in Germany can use illegally obtained bank account details to track down tax evaders, according to a constitutional court ruling Tuesday.
German authorities have in the past bought several CDs from informants in Liechtenstein and Switzerland, who unlawfully copied the information from bank databases.
The judges at the Karlsruhe court said investigators could use personal banking data bought off informants, irrespective of how the information was acquired.
The case was brought by a claimant who objected to a search warrant after his name appeared on a CD containing information on German bank accounts held in Liechtenstein and sold to the German government.
The judges ruled that the search warrant was not unconstitutional and did not violate the claimant's basic rights.
Both countries have struck dual taxation deals with Germany, making it harder in future for Germans to avoid paying tax by placing their money in Swiss or Liechtenstein bank accounts.
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