Switzerland and the UK supplement withholding tax agreement

Bern, 20.03.2012 - Today in Brussels, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland signed a Protocol of Amendment that supplements the withholding tax agreement of 6 October 2011. The agreement is thus ready for parliamentary deliberation. It should enter into force at the start of 2013.

Today in Brussels, the Protocol of Amendment to the withholding tax agreement was signed by Michael Ambühl, State Secretary in the Federal Department of Finance, and Dave Hartnett, Permanent Secretary for Tax, HM Revenue & Customs. The agreement remains unchanged in essence. Interest payments will be excluded from the agreement's scope. At the same time, it will be ensured that UK taxpayers can discharge their tax liability on interest payments. Effectively, nothing will change for bank clients; their tax obligations will be fulfilled. Only the legal structure will change. The concerns of the EU Commission regarding compatibility with EU law have been removed. Inheritance is now also covered by the agreement in order to eliminate a loophole. In the case of inheritance, the heirs must consent to either collection of a tax or disclosure.

The agreement not only respects the protection of bank clients' privacy applicable in Switzerland but also ensures the implementation of the UK authorities' legitimate tax claims. In addition, mutual market access for financial services will be improved. The agreement requires the approval of parliament in both countries, and should enter into force at the start of 2013.

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Mario Tuor, SIF Communications, +41 (0)79 547 63 81
Roland Meier, Media Spokesperson FDF, +41 (0)31 322 60 86