Swiss to cooperate with Japan on taxes
Switzerland will agree to greater cooperation on tax assistance with Japan, Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz said on Wednesday.
Merz, who also holds Switzerland’s rotating presidency, made the announcement in the capital, Bern. Japan is the seventh country with which Switzerland has agreed to loosen banking secrecy laws.
On Tuesday, Merz said Switzerland would enter into discussions with Germany on the same type of agreement. It initialed an accord with the United States last week.
Switzerland has said it wants to ink 12 double-taxation agreements before the end of the year. The country is trying to avoid being placed on a list of tax havens maintained by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The cantons and business associations are being consulted on the accord, which must be also ratified by the parliament.
The cabinet wants citizens to vote on the first agreement through a national referendum.
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