(Reuters) -
Switzerland will allow banks to hand over the names of any employees and other
third parties who helped wealthy Americans evade taxes to U.S. prosecutors, a
Swiss newspaper reported on Saturday.
Eleven
Swiss banks including Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX) and Julius Baer (BAER.VX) are
under investigation in the United Stated for aiding U.S. citizens suspected of
dodging taxes.
In the
latest attempt to end the long-running dispute, Switzerland's Federal Council
has now authorized banks to hand over email traffic in connection with such
clients to U.S. prosecutors, the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper reported.
This
includes the names of employees and where applicable third parties, such as
external wealth managers, lawyers and trustees, but not client data, the paper
said.
It said
Mario Tuor, a spokesman for the Swiss secretariat for international financial
affairs, confirmed this in a statement. He could not immediately be reached for
comment.
U.S.
authorities suspect tens of thousands of Americans have used Swiss banks to
squirrel their savings away from the tax inspectors.
Switzerland
is trying to get the investigations dropped, in return for the payment of a
hefty fine and the transfer of names of thousands of U.S. bank clients. It is
also seeking a deal to shield the remainder of its 300 or so banks from U.S.
prosecution.
In an
interview published on Friday, Swiss Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
said she expects to clinch a solution with the United States this year.
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