• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - VESCC English Catholic Mass
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna - Cats
• Vienna - Andy Warhol
• Vienna - Laser Tag

08. 02. 10. - 16:00

• more General News news
• RSS Feed General News

08. 02. 10. - 16:00

FPÖ leader faces tax evader protection accusations

Freedom Party (FPÖ) boss Heinz-Christian Strache has been accused of trying to protect tax evaders.

Greens’ finance spokesman Werner Kogler said yesterday (Sun): "FPÖ chief Strache has publicly assumed the new role of protector of tax evaders."

Kogler added: "It's an affront to plead for protection of tax evaders at a time when there are billions of unpaid back taxes."

Kogler was referring to Strache’s recent call for protection of banking secrecy in Austria.

"Strache is unwilling to do anything for the little man who has to pay taxes when countries like Switzerland are a refuge for tax evaders. The FPÖ leader has taken the side of big tax fraudsters and thereby defends the loss of billions in the budget that small taxpayers must compensate for," Kogler added.

What was necessary, Koger said, was protection of data in bank customers’ accounts vis-à-vis third parties, not protection of tax evaders.

Whereas the Greens want to put an end to banking secrecy, the People’s Party (ÖVP) does not.

ÖVP Finance Minister Josef Pröll said yesterday that banking secrecy was not an issue since Austria had implemented the internationally-accepted standards of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

He added that banking secrecy in Austrian differed substantially from that in Switzerland and so was not affected by public debate about it.

German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble predicted yesterday in an interview in newspaper NZZ am Sonntag that banking secrecy would soon become a thing of the past in Europe.

Austria came under the OECD’s fire last autumn for its dilatoriness in renegotiating tax treaties in order to get off its "grey list" of tax haven countries.

Austria was finally taken off the list last September after it had renegotiated more than 12 double taxation treaties and information exchange agreements with other countries.

But Pascal Saint-Amans, the head of OECD’s division for cooperation on tax affairs, warned that Austria had to continue the process of renegotiating more double-taxation treaties and information exchange agreements and to carry out exchanges of information.

Under the renegotiated agreements, information about foreigners’ bank accounts in Austria must be provided when there is "well-founded suspicion" of money laundering, tax evasion or other financial crimes by their owners instead of convictions for such crimes, as was the case before. But the provision does not apply to accounts of foreigners who pay Austrian taxes.

The OECD controversially drew up a list of countries last April that had promised to comply with its guidelines on the fight against tax fraud but had not yet done so.

Austrian Times

Related articles: right-wing Austria

1. Pröll outpaces friends and foes in capability check

   » General News 2012-05-23

   Austria’s longest-serving governor has been identified as the most capable one in the opinion of citizens.

2. BZÖ ends Stronach speculations

   » General News 2012-05-18

   The Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) has finally dismissed the circulating rumours about teaming up with a billionaire businessman.

3. BZÖ farewell possible, poll shows

   » General News 2012-05-17

   The chances of the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) to avoid dropping out of parliament are waning, according to a new poll.

more related articles tagged "right-wing Austria"

Related articles: political scandals

1. Army pays 2,000 staff for being idle

   » General News 2012-05-23

   The pressure on Social Democratic (SPÖ) Defence and Sport Minister Norbert Darabos is increasing as a new Audit Office (RH) examination indicates a waste of taxpayers’ money by the army.

2. Foul-mouthed MPs might face fines

   » General News 2012-05-23

   Fritz Neugebauer has started another attempt to introduce a system of fees for abusive parliament delegates (MPs).

3. Teachers ready to fight contract reform

   » Education 2012-05-23

   Unionists are alarmed by news that the education ministry plans to make significant changes to teachers’ contracts.

more related articles tagged "political scandals"

AUA rules out Whitsun travel chaos
The current conflict with the works committee does not negatively affect Austrian Airlines’ (AUA) booking figures, according to a spokesman.

Weak start for RWR Card
People’s Party (ÖVP) Economy Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner has admitted difficulties in introducing the Red White Red Card (RWR Card, Rot-Weiß-Rot Card).

Pröll outpaces friends and foes in capability check
Austria’s longest-serving governor has been identified as the most capable one in the opinion of citizens.

Foul-mouthed MPs might face fines
Fritz Neugebauer has started another attempt to introduce a system of fees for abusive parliament delegates (MPs).

Car sharers should get cheap U-Bahn tickets say greens
People who support the environment by signing up for car sharing initiatives to cut down inner city congestion should get subsidised public transport.

Film festivals in Vienna
There are two film festivals back to back in Vienna this May and June. The "Let's CEE Film Festival" shows films from Central and Eastern Europe, while the "Vienna Independent Shorts" focuses on short films.

Salzburg builds new prison
Salzburg is to get a new prison.

Postwoman killed by express train
An 32-year-old postwoman was killed instantly when she apparently failed to see a stop sign on a train track - and was hit by a 120 kph express train at the Grimmenstein sortage depot in the Lower Austrian region of Neunkirchen.

Dirty water caused by excrement
Health experts are struggling to find the source of excrement that has contaminated water supplies at the town of Köstendorf in Salzburg province.

Man Utd chase Austrian ace
Manchester United have signalised interest in David Alaba.

Jobs in Austria